The Best Friend
by ordinaryencounters
Summary: He was trying very hard to process all the information that was thrown to him just a minute ago – There's a boy pursuing Hikari. His name is Shoji Harada. He's two years their senior, and the pitcher of their university's varsity baseball team. And Hikari liked him.
1. Chapter 1

He wasn't sure when it happened.

Was it the time spent together on fortnight weekends when they gathered at each other's place? Or was it the time when Daisuke openly pursued her with such ferocity that it woke him out of his own oblivion? Maybe it was the Dark Ocean episode! He knew instinctively something was wrong with her, and that must be a sign, right? Or, it could be the moment when she held onto his wrist and refused to let him be taken by Piedmon?

_No, that couldn't be it. I was just 8. I couldn't possibly like her that way_.

But Takeru Takaishi knew it had happened. She was sitting opposite him across one of their university's cafeteria table, blushing slightly under Miyako Inoue's interrogation about a boy, and all the blond could feel at the instance was how much he did not want to know what was going on.

Yet he had to. He couldn't help it.

"When did this happen? Why don't I know what this conversation is about?"

He had said it too quickly. It had slipped out of his tongue before he could think of whether it was appropriate. The blue-eyed blond swallowed hard and hastily attempted a quizzical expression. He hoped the two girls did not find his sudden interjection strange and demanding, because Takeru Takaishi do not do brusque.

"Well…" Hikari Yagami started, a shy grin slowly appearing whilst her brown eyes widened with excitement. "It was a few weeks ago. Sorry Teeks, I really didn't think it was a big deal. Truly!"

Hikari bit her lower lip and looked pleadingly at him, and all he could muster at the moment was a smile to feign his forgiveness.

"Yea, until he started dropping you secret love notes, and that you actually like him!" Miyako exclaimed with such enthusiasm, it almost made Takeru looked like a scrooge for a best friend.

But he did feel like a scrooge. He was not very welcoming of this news. Not a bit, not at all. His insides felt like tightened knots, and he became extremely conscious of his posture and movement. His body was in a constant struggle of tensed and relaxed, and his throat and mouth were going dry.

He was trying very hard to process all the information that was thrown to him just a minute ago – There's a boy pursuing Hikari. His name is Shoji Harada. He's two years their senior, and the pitcher of their university's varsity baseball team. And Hikari liked him.

_She likes him!_ Takeru thought angrily.

To say he was baffled was an understatement. His best friend had never really shown much romantic interest towards the male population she had come across, even through high school. She had rejected all her suitors including Daisuke Motomiya, who pursued her fervently for two full years. It became such a challenge for boys to win her heart that most people gave in to the thought that Takeru was the reason for all the rejections she had made. Slowly, but surely, Takeru had gladly accepted the idea that they were both waiting for the other to break the silence on taking their platonic relationship to the next level. Yet, he held back. He was too afraid, too contented with how things were. He was not ready for change if change was not necessary. Until this Shoji person appeared from thin air to ruin it all.

"I'm so happy for you, you have absolutely no idea! Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to go on a double date with Ken and I? Now it's going to come true!" Miyako sighed loudly, gazing into nothingness with a big silly smile.

"But – Hikari isn't dating the guy yet," Takeru added. "They are not together or anything… Right?" His gaze switched from Miyako to Hikari, half of him wanting to reaffirm this fact, while the other half desperately wanted his best friend to soothe his fears.

Instead, she did the opposite. She tilted her head down shyly, and her face started to flush again. "I agreed to a date next weekend with him, Teeks."

"B-but how long do you guys know each other?! I don't even know who this person is and you just agreed to go on a date with a stranger two years older than you? He could be dangerous." Takeru spat, his words flowing out fast and his voice rising a little too high then it should have. He immediately regretted it.

Miyako's eyes widened in shock at Takeru's sudden outburst, and Hikari's smile faded.

"I'm sorry Teeks, I really am. I wanted to tell you. We briefly met when I was rushing my assignment in the library that night when you had basketball practice. The library was packed and I saw an empty seat next to him so we shared the table. We talked and we clicked, but I didn't think much of it. We were all so busy with school," Hikari sighed. She was hoping Takeru would be as excited as she was. Shoji would be the first boy she ever agreed to date, and it was nerve-wrecking as it is without the pressure from this or her brother. "Shoji didn't start messaging me until few days back. We really connected. I wouldn't say yes to the date if I know it wasn't right. You know me…"

"I'm… sorry, too… I just… It took me by surprise. You know I'm always watching out for you, right?" The blond said, smiling ever slightly to hide his now broken heart.

Hikari brightened up. "Just as long as you don't become like Onii-chan," She teased him.

Not knowing what to say, he forced a smile right back.

_I won't… I want to be more than just an Onii-chan, I want to be more than just your best friend. I want to be more._


	2. Chapter 2

It was Thursday, a day the Ishida/Takaishi brothers agreed to make time for one another on a fortnightly basis. It was also a day after Takeru had heard one of the worst news he had to come to terms with – the best friend he liked was falling in love with another. Sitting opposite an older male boring similar pale complexion, blue eyes, and honey blond streaks to him, he absent-mindedly probed his food with his chopsticks.

"The food's not going to eat itself," Yamato Ishida, his older brother stated matter-of-factly.

Takeru gave his food one last poke before putting his chopsticks down on the table. His appetite had disappeared before it even came for the third time since yesterday afternoon.

"How did you know when was the perfect time to tell Sora-chan how you felt?" Takeru blurted out. He knew his brother and Sora Takenouchi were extremely close friends before they became an item. If they worked out despite the awkwardness of Taichi Yagami's past affection for Sora, it must be possible, right?

Half amused and half excited, Yamato grinned. He knew his brother was bothered by something. He just did not expect it to be about a girl.

"Who's the lucky girl?"

"You're not answering my question."

"C'mon, who's she? Tell me or I won't tell you."

"Never mind, forget that I asked," Takeru sighed, his eyes wandered away slowly from his companion and stared blankly into the far distant.

"There's never a perfect timing, 'keru. You say it when you feel like it is appropriate to the situation. Maybe it's the setting, like after a date… or it could be more pressing… when you know the person you like could end up being with someone else if you don't say it." Yamato answered. He was not quite sure if his last sentence was a good advice, given that he felt like it was a jerk move after he did it for Sora against his buddy Taichi. It did nevertheless land him the girl of his dreams, and he would wish the same happen to his brother.

Takeru nodded, still looking rather grim. "Thanks Onii-chan."

"Hikari told Taichi that you've practically charmed the entire female population in your school. You have nothing to worry about, alright?" Yamato continued, not knowing the irony of his words.

Takeru grimaced. It was the kind of embarrassing but sweetest thing Hikari would say about him to everyone else. He knew his best friend too well. True or not, he could not care less. He would whole-heartedly trade the affections of these girls' for Hikari's alone if he could.

"That's impossible, you know that. We just started university…"

"So… Who is she?!" Yamato tried again, curiosity peaking and his grin creeping back.

The younger of the two rolled his eyes in response, his lips twitching upwards into a weak smile he could not hide. He knew Yamato would not let this go. And he was right.

"Aww come on! Can't I get a little insider info on who this girl might be? If you're not telling me, I'm just gonna ask Hikari anyway," Yamato concluded.

The two families have dinners occasionally, alternating between the Yagami, Takaishi, and Ishida residences. It had been a five year tradition turned into a norm no one had objected to. Takeru was sure that if his brother wanted to pry his private life out from his best friend, he would, and he could. That was the last thing Takeru wanted, not because he was afraid to share, but because Hikari would not even know.

"Onii-chan, please… don't ask her," Takeru pleaded. "She doesn't know anything."

Yamato raised an eyebrow as he sipped on the water from a pretty ceramic cup. The news had come as a surprise since he always thought the two kids shared everything together.

"Alright, fine, I'll stop asking," Yamato said with a shrug. "You'll still want to look your best so eat up your food. Just don't forget to introduce her to us soon."

Not sure what to say, Takeru picked up his chopsticks. He would try to whet his appetite for his brother's sake, whilst the words of advice were swimming in his head. Maybe he should step up his game? Yes, he should step up his game! No one knew Hikari like he did, so how could a stranger she just met stand a chance at winning her heart?

With every minute, Takeru grew more determined. He had not felt this surge of certainty in a long time. It was almost nostalgic – almost reminiscent of the days when he was resolute of Patamon's evolution. However, he would not let his determination become the worst of him like before. Holding his chopsticks a little tighter, sitting up a little straighter, the younger blond of the two had his mind set. He would get the girl. He would prepare for what was to come for the next few weeks.

Except, he was not.

* * *

**Hey guys, thank you for taking time out to read this little story! I haven't post on Fanfiction for a very long time, so don't be afraid to write a review telling me how you feel about it, and any suggestions would be inspiring. ;)**

**To reviewers:**  
**shrimproll - thank you for the first review :) I also feel very sad when I write the story, but this will be a Takari so he won't be friendzoned for too long :P**


	3. Chapter 3

"See you next week Takeru!"

"You too, Kyo!" Takeru replied, waving back at his school mate who had done the same. He had finished his last lesson – _Literary Classics: Texts and Traditions_ – for the week, and the boy could not be more relieved.

The eighteen-year-old loved his major in Japanese Literature, but his mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of his best friend. He was not sure how he should convey his feelings to her, and he was definitely not sure how she would take it if he did. While these considerations continued to confound him, Takeru slowly gathered his stationery and notebook. Unknowingly, he let out a sigh. There were many ways for him to show his affections, but none of them could make it less awkward if he did.

He checked his watch. _4.10pm_. Hikari's class would be over in 20 minutes. They had planned their timetable upon entering the same university, hoping to accompany each other when their classes were over. However, extra-curricular activities often got in their plans as school days progressed. He could not be certain today was a good day to walk her home, because he intentionally did not check with her. If Heaven's on his side, she would be. And hopefully, she would be surprised.

The blond bit his lower lip. He was nervous as hell. When did he become so tense? Hastily shoving his items into his tan haversack, Takeru walked out of his classroom towards where Hikari's would be.

_Please don't act like a fool. Please just stay normal._

He had the two sentences repeating themselves in his head, as if the constant chanting would magically resolve his anxiety. He thought he must have looked like he was making a big deal out of it, but his physical reaction stated otherwise. His hands were getting clammy as he walked down the corridors, passing groups of chattering students engrossed in their own little worlds. His heart was thumping a little faster than usual, and when he was just a minute away from his destination, he could almost swore he felt the rhythmic pumping of blood through his veins.

_Don't say anything that's going to make you look way more ridiculous than that day. Just – Don't._

He took in a deep breathe, then let it go. It helped eased a little of his nerves. From a short distance away, he heard the familiar sounds of chairs dragging across epoxy flooring. Hikari's class is officially over. Like himself, a few others have stood outside the small-sized room, purposefully waiting for their friends or partners to finish class.

As Takeru approached the back of the classroom's exterior, it happened.

Hikari Yagami had walked out from the front door, her face lit up seeing a taller male before her. He had tousled jet-black hair, and stood almost a head taller than her. Donning a simple white baseball t-shirt with navy blue sleeves and casual brown Bermuda shorts, the guy had effortlessly looked well dressed for an outfit that would have looked ordinary on many others. Playing baseball for years must have aid in his favour, for he was lean yet well-built. He smiled at her widely, his strong jawbone handsomely defining his face.

Takeru stopped short. A pressure had built in his chest, and the air suddenly became too thick for breathing. The world seemed to slow down as he took in the truth in front of him – the girl he liked was beaming at another boy.

_He must be… _

"Shoji!" Hikari greeted with a polite bow, smiling in return.

Shoji bowed in return. Their politeness did not mask their delight, a revelation that felt like a stab in Takeru's chest as he stood at a corner, feeling out of place. He wanted to walk away. Walk as far as he can from the scene and pretended it never did happen. Yet, Takeru was glued to the spot, his weakening legs losing the strength to take him away.

The two spoke softly. They looked nervous, but it was not the bad or awkward kind. It was the kind two attracted persons would behave. They exchanged small smiles and conversations, oblivious to the occasional passing by of random students, and the blond who stood just a metre and a half away.

Takeru's heart was sinking. Things were happening too fast. It was not supposed to be this fast!

"Teeks!"

Their date was not till next week. He thought he had a week to his favour.

"Teeks!" Hikari tried again. She had just noticed her best friend, who seemed to be in a daze. "Takeru! Takeru Takaishi!"

Takeru jerked his head to the sound of his full name that jolted him from his stupor. He saw her waving at him, so he smiled weakly in return. Now he was not sure what he was to do. The last thing he wanted was to meet this bloke, but he had no choice now. He gave a small wave at the two and walked towards them.

_Should I play it cool? Or eye-ball him down… let him know she is out of bounds? How do I – _

"Hey! You didn't tell me you'll be dropping by?" Hikari asked, looking exceptionally pretty with her chocolate-brown eyes widened by surprise and genuine interest.

He stared at her, lost for words.

"I – I was free… So… I was hoping to catch you."Takeru replied, fumbling for the right words to say, but failing because he did not know what his intentions were. "You know, have _our_ walk back. Like _always_."

The blond was a mess, but he inwardly smirked. He had unintentionally emphasized his relationship with Hikari, and he could feel the sudden withdrawal of Shoji.

"Hi, I'm Takeru," Takeru feeling confident, said, while extending his hand towards the older male for introductions. He had never been fond of the traditional Japanese greetings, except for formal occasions, due to his exposure to Western cultures from his mother.

However, Takeru's hand was left hanging in mid-air as Shoji bowed. From the corner of Takeru's eyes, he could see Hikari frowning. He knew she hated tensions and conflicts, and the last thing he wanted was to upset her.

_What an ass… _

Forcing a smile, Takeru took back his hand and bowed in return. He could see Hikari smiling again.

"My name is Shoji Harada."

Hikari blushed at the sound of Shoji saying his name.

"I can finally put a face to the name," Takeru said respectfully.

"Shoji, Takeru's my best friend." Hikari explained. For a moment, Takeru thought he had heard things.

_Was I never mentioned to this dude before?!_

"We've practically grown up together," Takeru smiled weakly, trying to hide his hurting pride. He could not believe how insignificant he was to her, that she would have never talked about him to the guy she liked.

Hikari nodded in agreement to Takeru's statement with a smile. It never failed to amaze her how much of their childhood were spent together. Their similar experiences drew them towards one another, becoming topics of interest in their friendship. Yet, these things scared her. Spending a portion of her life immersed in the Digital World only brought her closer to people who had alike encounters. She did not want that. She wanted to know what it would be like to be close to someone who was never a part of the Digital World – someone from the outside.

"Teeks, you should have messaged me…" She grimaced, dragging her sentence in an attempt to hint to her best friend her declination to walk home with him this time round.

"Hikari, it's fine, I didn't tell you either… Maybe… next time?" Shoji said, disappointment heavy in his voice.

Shoji shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. By now, Takeru could easily tell that the older male was feeling out of place. He also knew that he could easily make Shoji walk away from them by dropping more suggestive statements, but his heart softened when his eyes met Hikari's. As much as his heart wanted to take that option, he knew his best friend would be crushed. Making sure Hikari was happy was all that mattered at that moment, if not every moment.

"Oh! Crap!" Takeru cried. "I… forgot I have something on! I… had an appointment with Mr Himura!" Takeru quickly glanced at his watch, faking a worried expression before continuing his lie. "Sorry Kari! I thought I was free! Shoji-san, please make sure Hikari get home safe. Arigato!"

Takeru bowed his farewell to Shoji, before giving Hikari his cheekiest grin. He gave them a small wave then turned his back from them, his grin slowly fading as he walked off.

The voice inside him cursed him, calling him names – for walking away from the girl he wanted so much to be with; for leaving her alone with another guy instead; and for giving that guy his chance to advance his relationship with her.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you to everyone who had read the story so far, and thank you so much for the reviews :)

You may have realised the story is written in Takeru's POV, so I am keeping a lot of Hikari's POV away on this, and only showing you snippets of Hikari's thoughts/feelings through Takeru's eyes. The story progression will be not as fast as you think, because I really want to take the time to showcase their best friend relationship before Hikari sees Takeru romantically, and also show how Takeru go through these changes to become ready as her romantic partner.

Sorry if the past few chapters were not very long too. I just write them and stop at where I feel appropriate to the situation, lol. I have the next chapter written and it is 2.5x longer than this chapter, so please forgive me for now! If you can share your thoughts on my writing style, it'd be good for me as a way to improve too! So review, flame, rant if you can! :D

To reviewers:  
**CloakBlade** \- Thank you :D I'm leaving Yamato (a little) clueless because he had dismissed Takeru and Hikari as a couple since they remained best friends for so long :P  
**shrimproll** \- My heart aches whenever I write this story :/ he will get his happy ending - not so soon, but eventually ;)  
**Carupin** \- :D update is here! a short one though, but a longer one coming soon! 

* * *

The next few days had gone by very slowly for Takeru. It was as though time had dragged itself so as to make him realise his stupidity for not taking his chances when he could. Lying on his bed, the blond had one hand supporting his head while the other clutching onto his mobile phone. He raised his arm to his face to check his phone for what could have been the hundredth time for that afternoon. Hikari still had not replied his message.

He was not usually like this. On any other Tuesday afternoon, Takeru would sleep in till ten in the morning because he had no classes. After lazing for a while on bed, he then decided to wash up and find something to eat. Normally his mother would have left food for him to heat up, and then there were those days when his mother would be too busy for that. That day was today.

When he realized he had no ready-made brunch, his day just became a little darker. He never minded cooking a meal, but cooking was not the least bit therapeutic to him. So he decided to go back to his room and message Hikari.

It was a simple message. Something along the line of 'Hey!' and 'Don't fall asleep!". He knew she had morning classes today. He also knew she did not have the habit of replying messages immediately unless she was bored. Yet, Takeru was frustrated. In his mind, he could picture Hikari and Shoji sending messages back and forth. Even if it was all imaginary, he could not help but feel exasperated.

The day after Shoji walked her home, Hikari had gone over to Takeru's place for their usual gathering. He was so bothered by the incident of Shoji turning up for Hikari that when his doorbell rang on Saturday morning, he had leapt off the living room couch and went straight for the door. He almost thought he had lost her forever.

They spent the whole afternoon doing what they always do – movies and card games. Everything felt normal, as if Shoji Harada had not declared his love for Hikari, and Hikari did not reciprocate her feelings for him. Her phone had kept buzzing with messages, which Hikari politely checked intermittently. He knew who the messages were from seeing her smiles, but he did not want to ask. He thought that if he ignored it hard enough, the name he dreaded to hear would not be mentioned. That was until his best friend decided to ask him a favour:

"Teeks, are you free on Thursday?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeaaa…" Takeru replied with uncertainty.

Takeru remembered their classes would be cancelled for that day and the day after for 'Game Day' – A sporting event of 89 years tradition between theirs and a rivaling university. Initially started out as a friendly day event for sports, 'Game Day' had slowly evolved into the current two-day affair both universities took pride in in sending their best players to pit against each other. It was also what kept Takeru extremely occupied for the past few weeks training for the basketball tournament.

Knowing that fact made him nervous. He knew Hikari was not referring to his basketball match that she had promised to go, because that was on Friday, not Thursday. Thursday was baseball.

"Please please pleaseeeee accompany me to the baseball game?" Hikari begged, giving her best friend her best impression of puppy-dog eyes.

Takeru's heart sank. Hikari had never been a sport enthusiast, and would only go for basketball games because of him. Her sudden interest had only one motivation, and that motivation was Shoji Harada.

"Shoji invited me to watch him play. He gave me two tickets so I won't have to go by myself."

"But-I don't even watch baseball! I wouldn't know what's going on."

He had lied. Sure he did not watch baseball, but he knew the basics of it. Baseball is too popular a sport in Japan and in their university for him to ignore it entirely. Nevertheless, Takeru's ridicule of baseball caused Hikari to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Takeru asked, raising a brow in question.

"There's no one worse than me when it comes to getting sports, Teeks. You know that. I just want to get to know Shoji better. I want to see his world."

Her reply felt like a punch to his chest. Takeru had never seen Hikari this determined to know someone better, and his heart ached knowing this person was not him.

"We can look like two silly fools together at the stadium." Hikari tried again, reaching her hand out to hold his. "Please?"

And he agreed.

_Damn it._

Takeru hit his bed with his hand that was clenched into a fist. His inner voice threw more curses at himself over the Saturday incident. He could have insisted on not going. He could have found some excuse to make them not go to the game at all. The blond blamed himself for not being able to fight against the touch of her hand on his, for wanting to make her happy regardless of his own. Most of all, he blamed himself for being her best friend.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thanks to all my readers! The new chapter is here :D This is a much longer chapter to make up for all the shorter ones and the wait! Please review, rant, comment, flame - anything, if you can :)

To reviewers:  
**shrimproll** \- more broken hearts after this chapter! :P  
**Carupin** \- your English is so good, I can't tell it's bad at all :) Hope you enjoy this longer chapter!  
**CloakBlade** \- Thank you :) I wanted it one side to also make it more mysterious, because we won't for sure know what goes on in Hikari's mind (except through Takeru's). I feel so mean making him suffer, but it will be worth it :D

* * *

"Wow…"

Hikari was wide-eyed and in awe. They were both an hour early for the baseball game, but the crowd was already pouring in to the stadium, anxious to get a good seat for the televised match. Takeru, who was very hesitant with this little trip, was also largely amused by the game's popularity. He was aware that the baseball game is the most hyped event for 'Game Day', but he did not know it was _this_ big of a deal.

As they pushed and shoved their way through the crowd, the two best friends repeatedly mumbled 'sorry's to the people they accidentally bumped into. Most of those who wore red, which is their university's colour, did not seem to mind, but the ones in green appeared irritated. Takeru did not fault them. Tension was admittedly high between the rival universities and him wearing his university's cap and jacket did not help to lessen it. Hikari also appeared in a mixed of reds and whites. She had tied her very short hair into a tiny ponytail, loosely secured with a red ribbon. Her top was white but her shorts were red, and that easily gave away who they were rooting for.

Most of the better seats were taken up, leaving Hikari worried. Takeru, on the other hand, felt awful for wanting them to not get the best views of the home plate. He was sure that the less he sees of Shoji, the less unwanted negativity he would harbour for this guy. After what seemed like a long five minutes of indecisiveness and cluelessness, Hikari suggested the seats behind the first base, much to his dismay. Having a smaller group made finding seats easier, and sitting at a position right behind the first base was almost as good as a nightmare to the blond.

"This is… crazy!" Hikari said aloud after they took their seats. "I didn't think it would be so packed!"

"You must be _ichinensei_." A guy sitting two seats away said after overhearing Hikari's comment. "Game Day's baseball games are always like that. It is too good to miss!"

Hikari nodded with a smile, still stunned by the elaborateness of the game. Sitting beside her, Takeru frowned. He felt so small in the stadium full of students and general public, all waiting to watch a stupid game Shoji was a part of. He secretly wished his basketball games were this big, and then maybe he would have left a more impressive impression on her.

When the game started, Takeru noticed Hikari craning her neck for better views. Shoji was not sent out yet as a pitcher for his team, which added onto Hikari's already confused concept of the game. While she tried so hard to watch the game, Takeru sneaked a few glances at her. He had never seen her in such a state of confusion and determination, and he thought to himself how cute she looked. His lips curled into a smile. He watched her as the occasional wind lightly picked up her hairs, but his heart felt so heavy at the same time. He wished he knew when he had liked her this much romantically, so maybe he could seize the opportunities when they present themselves. Now that she had found someone she likes, he was even more afraid of ruining their friendship.

It was their first ever baseball game, but it did not take them long to immerse themselves with the cheering crowd. Whenever their team bats, the cheerleaders standing on the lowest rung of the bleachers in their section would lead them to sing and chant. They were also given free tiny flags emblazoned with their school logo, and complimentary plastic bats to imitate the sounds of clapping when hit together. When the opposing team bats, they would promptly take their seats and watch the game respectfully. The atmosphere, albeit tense, was very well-mannered.

"OH MY GOD!" A squeal suddenly came from their back. "SHOJI HARADA!"

Hikari turned around in search for the source of the high-pitched voice. Takeru winced. Shoji had taken his place in the baseball diamond, much to the delight of what sounded like three fan girls sitting right behind them. Hikari turned to Takeru and lightly chuckled. Takeru returned her laughter with a grin on pretense. They were not expecting Shoji to have fan girls; not that it surprised Takeru much.

"Shoji-san is _so_ perfect," Another female voice sighed loudly.

Disheartened, Takeru glanced at Hikari, who seemed highly amused by the conversation exchanged behind them while she tried to watch the game. He could tell she was nervous, one of her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her shorts. Takeru wondered what would happen if he were to reach out and hold her hand. Would she smile at him and hold it tight, or would he startle her and make things awkward? The blond adjusted his cap as he looked onto the field. He had never heard of Shoji Harada before since starting university, but from the roaring crowd and cheers, he could tell that the guy was popular for the sport.

Hikari shivered slightly from the winds that had begun to pick up their speeds. Instinctively, he took off his coat and draped it over his companion. It was nothing particularly unusual. Takeru had done this so many times that she would also accept the gesture without any words exchanged. She slipped her arms through the sleeves, letting the oversized jacket enveloped her in his warmth.

"Are you hungry? I'm going to buy some food."

"I didn't even realise I was hungry!" Hikari said, placing her hand over her stomach. "Can you get me a bento box?"

Takeru nodded with a grin. They had a very light breakfast, which would not have last them through the afternoon. He was also more than happy to escape the crowd that was now cheering for the guy he least liked. Takeru took his time to get to the concessions stand, dodging more students in reds and greens, their hands full with hotdogs, bento boxes, soda, and packets of chips.

"Takeru! Takeru!" A familiar deep voice called out.

Upon hearing his name, Takeru began looking around and saw a pair of hands waving in front of him from a short distance. He recognised the short reddish brown hair and the lean stature of Koushiro Izumi, who was dressed in green to support his own school.

"Hey!" Takeru greeted his former Digital World comrade, delighted to spot a familiar face amongst the crowd. "I didn't know you watch baseball?"

"I don't!" Koushiro plainly replied. "I do come for certain matches during Game Day to work on programming the live streaming for broadcast. We're also working on a phone app for this year, did you try it out?"

"Oh… Wow, I didn't even know there's an app." He also did not know Koushiro was working on sports related computer work.

"Actually," Koushiro's voice had dropped to almost a whisper. "This is just a cover up. They're not giving me the green light to researching on Digital World yet. The department is very unsure and they kept thinking that if we were to cross our data systems too much with the other side, we would end up with yet another catastrophe. And I don't disagree! So… I'm just bidding time and getting more access to the school's data system."

"I didn't know you watch baseball though?" Koushiro continued.

"I'm just here for Hikari"

"She watches baseball?!"

Takeru laughed at Koushiro's stunned expression.

"No, it's… A long story."

"Well, another time then? I have to go check on the computers."

The two teenagers nodded and bid farewell. Takeru resumed finding the bento boxes and bought two from a lovely lady at one of the stands. When he got back to their seats, Hikari had picked up the plastic bats like everyone else, rhythmically hitting the bats together to cheer on the team. Lifting his food a little higher, the blond politely apologised to the groups sitting along their row as he cautiously moved past them.

When he finally found his way to his seat, Takeru settled down and passed a bento to his best friend. With her bats in mid-air, she gave him the biggest smile.

"Hey I got your bento."

"Thanks Teeks! Where did you go? You were gone for so long." The girl put down her plastic bats and took the bento box. She opened the lid to reveal an assortment of sushi and pickled vegetables. "This looks sooo good!"

"I saw Koushiro." Takeru had also opened his bento box and began to eat his way through.

"Mmm yummy!" Hikari took a bite from her tamago sushi with a satisfied smile. "What was Koushiro-san doing here? I didn't know he watches baseball?"

Takeru laughed. He thought it was funny how none of them were interested in baseball, but had all seemingly ended up here at the stadium anyway.

"He doesn't. He was just here to help out with more computer work because they haven't granted him access to his research yet."

"I wish they realized how incredibly talented Koushiro-san is. And how important his research is."

Takeru nodded.

"I wish so, too."

There were too many people fearful of the Digital World, because humans could never be at ease with what they do not know. But they got it. All of them who fought with their Digimon for the Digital World got it. They all shared a bond no one could ever understand, and he wished Hikari saw it the way he did. Shoji Harada was never a part of the Digital World.

_So how could he understand her?_

After what seemed like fourteen hours and a few dozens of yawns between Takeru and Hikari, the game finally ended the nine-innings game with the reds winning 4–3. As the players lined up to bow and shake hands, people began to stand up to leave. Occasionally, someone would start a song sang along by the rest, creating another wave of excitement. The two best friends also followed the crowd as they gathered their items to leave.

"Urm… Teeks?"

"Mmhmm?" Takeru said, half listening and half concentrating on getting them out of the stadium.

"Shoji said he wants to see me if I came to his game…" Hikari's cheeks flushed immediately.

Takeru froze in his steps. Hearing the way she spoke of his name – so soft with a hint of shyness – made him extremely upset.

"Maybe we can go over there?" Hikari said, pointing at the barricades near the players' entrance, where a small crowd has slowly gathered.

It hurt him that she could not see his internal struggle. Were they not best friends? But Hikari was too blinded by her infatuation. Before he could register what to say, the brunette was already leading them straight to the barricades, with Takeru trailing behind reluctantly.

And there stood Shoji Harada, covered in dirt and bruises, hugging his team members and cheering for their victory. Despite the big grin plastered on his face and his continuous waving at his fans, the baseball player noticed Hikari. She beamed and waved at him. He jogged right to where she stood, the only thing separating the two being the barricade.

The two of them exchanged words, inaudible to Takeru who chose to stay a distance away. He was not fond of them being so close, much less interested in what they have to say. Instead, he shoved his hands into his side pockets and waited. He forced himself to look away, but his eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, voluntarily wandering back to the duo. In one of the few seconds he looked over, he saw Shoji shot a look in his direction. He realized Hikari still had his jacket draped over her, and this made Takeru's heart did a tiny double flip of joy. Between a guy and another, and his past experiences with Hikari's suitors, he knew the senior saw him as a threat.

Takeru had never outrightly sought for trouble. For as long as he could remember, he felt that unnecessary drama always found a way to him. And he would always try his best to resolve these conflicts. He was always the one trying to bridge his broken family closer, and always the one trying to lighten up tensions between his friends. When any random guy was to challenge him for Hikari's affections, Takeru would just laugh and politely tell them he is just a best friend. But this time round, it was different. This time round, Hikari was reciprocating her feelings for her suitor, and Takeru did not care if Shoji saw him as a threat – because he wanted him to.

One by one, the baseball players have left the field for their locker room, so Hikari bided farewell to the boy she likes. The blond caught Shoji shooting another unpleasant look towards him, but his best friend seemed oblivious to it. She walked over to Takeru, looking like she had just struck a million dollar lottery from the way she was smiling so hard. He knew she was giddy with happiness, the kind that overwhelmed a person so much that it cannot be contained. He forced a smile – almost becoming a norm these days – because he did not want her to question him.

"'Keru," Hikari said, using the nickname she saved for serious or special moments. "I never thought I'd like a boy this much…"

_What about me? How much do you like me? Why isn't it more than him?_

Millions of questions came and went. He wished he could ask them aloud – ask her why it was not him – but no words came out. As they went home together, Takeru avoided anything on Shoji Harada. They talked about Takeru's preparation for the upcoming basketball game, complained about their never-ending assignments, before falling into a comfortable silence both enjoy. On the train ride back, she rested her head on his shoulders and fell asleep like many times before. Only this time round, everything was beginning to change.


	6. Chapter 6

Most people have a choice of sport they like. For Takeru Takaishi, it was basketball. His first encounter with the sport happened when he was still a child. He would pass by a public basketball court near his old home whenever his mother took him to the convenience store around the corner. He always wound up looking towards the court, where the sounds of screeching shoes, ball hitting ground, and shouts from team players drew his attention every single time without fail as his mother held his tiny hand and walked across the court.

Of course, it was not only until the later stages of his elementary school did Takeru found himself playing basketball. While he was not flawless during his first few tries at it, his ability to easily dribble the ball as he ran across the court caught the attention of his school's physical education teacher. Before long, Takeru was signed up for basketball trainings after school hours as an extra-curricular activity. He had an affinity with it. Sure it was hard work, but it was hard work Takeru enjoyed. The bonds he forged through team work gave him a sense of belonging. It was almost heartwarming, knowing he had somewhat gained two families – the Chosen Children group and his basketball team – when his immediate one did not work out.

But his very first match he ever had for his university's Game Day was horrible.

The eighteen-year-old was one of the three selected first year students that Coach Kaneko had the confidence to send during the game. Upon knowing the news, Takeru trained vigorously, to the extent of skipping out on social invites in his attempt to strengthen his weaker skills. But they were no use. His efforts went down the drain in a single moment when he spotted Hikari in the crowd, busy typing and smiling at her phone when he was expecting her to watch his game.

And then, he got distracted.

He allowed the rivaling team players to intercept his possession of the ball, and he had the hardest time concentrating on their team defense and offense strategies. By the end of his first quarter in the game, Coach Kaneko had to get him to sit out lest they fall further behind.

He was not sure how or why, but Takeru thought his coach knew that he probably had a bad day; into the third quarter, Coach Kaneko asked him if he were ready to try again. Takeru did not think so, but he had to make up for his bad, and so he went into the game. Albeit better than his first quarter's performance, the second time one was not anywhere near a good indication of Takeru's efforts for his past weeks' of trainings. When the game ended 89–93, the boy blamed himself so bad.

"Hey, I know that look. You did great for the first time, it could be nerves. I know I had that for my first game. Don't beat yourself up, OK!"

"They had a good team. They always have a very good team. We did our best, Takeru."

"We have more victories ahead, Takeru! This is just one defeat, and a very tiny one too!"

The blond was very thankful for his good-natured team. Initially, he thought they were just humouring him. However, he realized that they were genuinely concerned, for they offered to help him if he needed it. Takeru did not want to tell them why he had played so badly during the game, so he politely listened to their advice and tips. When he was done changing and packing in the locker room, he swung his black duffel over his shoulders and exited. And there amongst the small groups of people left in the court was a pleasant surprise – Hikari was one of them. She was seated right behind the railings, hugging her tiny pink backpack on her lap with her eyes closed.

His heart skipped thrice, and his eyes lit. Seeing her waiting for him made him forget every negative thought that swam in his head right when his eyes landed on her while in the midst of his games. For as long as they were best friends, Takeru had never expected anything more or less from Hikari. If she had something urgent to attend to, he never minded her going off early from their hangouts. If she had the time to come watch his games, Takeru would be delighted, but he would also not blame her if she did not stay. He never thought that there would be a day when her waiting for him after his games would mean so much more to him.

"Hey…" Takeru greeted, his voice so soft, as if he was afraid of startling a napping child.

Despite his efforts, Hikari's eyes flew open. Upon seeing who was right in front of her, she smiled and yawned. It was always rare to see Hikari tired in the middle of the day. She may be rather quiet, but the brunette was always ready for any adventure that awaited her. He thought she must have stayed up late the night before, and hated how observant of her he had become lately.

"Hey!" She greeted back casually, stifling another yawn. She slid her backpack on and went about the railings to where Takeru was, before exclaiming, "C'mon, let's go!"

"Where to?" He asked as they walked out of the compound.

"Lunch at Kazan Ramen! I'm starving!"

"And tired?"

She grinned, and it was all it took for Takeru to understand what it meant. However, she said nothing, leaving the boy's mind to run wild in anxiety once more. He thought of whether Hikari had been text messaging Shoji till late, or did the two began late night phone calls or online video chats without him knowing. Oblivious to the effect she has on her best friend, she changed the topic of their conversation. Hikari swung her backpack forwards and pulled out her digital SLR camera, eager to show her photography to him.

"Look, I took some photos of you! I'm going to submit them to the school papers."

Takeru grimaced, but his insides were fluttering knowing she still did notice him.

"I was terrible."

"Were you nervous? I could tell you were out of focus," she teased, not knowing everything had a little something to do with her. "'_Takeru Takaishi is so hot!'_" She squealed, obviously imitating the sounds of others. "The girls around me were so in love with you, I don't think it matters."

The brunette grinned, but rolled her eyes in annoyance. Takeru wondered what it meant. Was she jealous? Or was it just purely tongue-in-cheek? He laughed nervously. After so many years of the opposite sex expressing their attraction to him, he still never really got used to it. In fact, it made him uneasy, because he did not want her to feel like he cared for their attention.

"It was… a little hard to concentrate."

He thought he saw her made a face, but it was one he could not understand. Her facial expression was as blank as a canvas, but yet she looked as if she were thinking very hard. The blond thought of asking her what was on her mind, but changed his mind within seconds. He bit his lower lip in frustration, upset at how frightened he is lately of realities when it comes to his best friend.

After a short ride on the train and an easy walk, the duo reached Kazan Ramen. The ramen shop was nothing elaborate nor fancy. Wedged between a brightly coloured restaurant and a convenience store along a quiet street, Kazan Ramen paled in comparison with its fading banners and dull-looking décor. Its small interior was nonetheless traditional, something that caught Takeru's attention when he accidentally stumbled upon it one day hungry and almost cashless. Since then, Takeru had occasionally brought his friends to the oddly charming hole in the wall, where its food was nothing short of exceptional. Hikari was his first companion to the Kanza Ramen, and with that, the tiny quaint shop had naturally became their go-to.

As Hikari made her way to their usual sitting area at the far end corner that happened to be empty, Takeru placed and paid for their orders. Two bowls of piping hot ramen were served not long after, and the hungry pair wasted no time digging into their meals.

"I miss Kazan Ramen!" Hikari said with a satisfied and contented expression, even though their last visit was only a week ago.

"Nothing like a bowl of ramen at Kazan!" The blond nodded in absolute agreement.

Hikari smiled. She placed her chopsticks on her bowl of half-eaten ramen, had her arms by her side and her posture straightened, and grew serious. Her face carried a worried expression and Takeru immediately noticed the abrupt behaviour. He slowed his eating to a pause, his mouth open mid-way and his chopsticks full of noodles hung in mid-air. He slowly shut his mouth and lowered his chopsticks, sensing his best friend was about to say something he least wanted to hear about.

"You know there's no one else whose opinions I value more of," She started, her brown eyes softened whilst her body seemed to tense up. "Other than Onii-chan, and of course, Mom and Dad…"

Takeru's head involuntarily nodded slowly. His mouth had turned dry and his hands were beginning to get clammy. He felt like what seemed to be a lump in his throat, making it hard for him to say anything in response.

"I never got to ask you how you feel about Shoji… I… was too swept up by everything," She continued, the love-stricken smile that had been appearing for the past few days was surfacing again. "But… I realized there's nothing more important than knowing… you are supporting my decision..."

He had also put his chopsticks down. His eyes flickered between looking into hers and across the room. He could not bear staring into the pair of eyes he had always looked into to tell of all his inner deepest secrets and truths, and lie straight to her face. Takeru swallowed hard and contemplated what he could say. The eighteen-year-old wanted to tell her she was being silly. This could just be an infatuation and it could die off. He wished he could joke about the number of girl fans that could threaten their relationship if Hikari and Shoji were to have one. But those were not what his best friend wanted to hear. She wanted his full support in dating Shoji, and that was the hardest thing he could agree to.

"I… don't know him… very well."

Hikari's face fell. It pained him to see her this way. The boy inwardly sighed. If there were any weakness assessments for him to take, she would undoubtedly be his number one weakness on the list.

"But that does not mean… I don't believe in you and your decisions. I just… want the best for you."

Her smile slowly crept back, much to his relief.

"I'm so nervous, Teeks… I didn't tell anyone but you and Miyako. She is way too excited- you know how she is," Hikari grinned and rolled her eyes in feign annoyance. "She is already assuming tomorrow will go well and has all these crazy plans for me… And- I don't know how or why, but I get these vibes from you… that… you don't want to talk to me about Shoji… You mean too much to me for me to not talk to you about this…"

Takeru was in an excruciating struggle between his heart and his mind. Her words were in and out of his hearing ability, while the loud pounding of his heart grew louder with each second. He had been trying very hard to ignore the fact that Hikari would be going on her first date with another guy for the past few days, but reality struck him hard now that she had spoken about it.

'Thank you…' was all he could muster, before words fell short on him. He felt so useless. He had no words to say, even after she explicitly told him how important it was to her. She looked expectantly at him, yearning him to offer her some forms of reassurance like he would always do.

"No matter what tomorrow brings, I will still be here for you."

The corners of her lips rose. Her eyes twinkled with gratitude; something the duo did not need outright declaration to be aware of. Setting her concerns and worries aside, Hikari continued eating her ramen. The same could not happen for her companion, whose hunger had surely dissolved after the conversation. He looked on as she ate, his heart heavy with regrets and 'what ifs'. What if he had tried pursuing her earlier before all these had taken place? What if he had not been occupied with basketball so she would not have gone to the library alone? What if she had never met Shoji? Would things have turned out better for him?

When Hikari noticed he had stopped eating, she asked him if he was okay. He had never left a bowl of Kazen ramen unfinished, and knew it was unusual. But the boy refused to let her worry. He told her he was fine, just a little too tired to eat. She grew concerned, insisting he needed more rest now that Game Day was over. He wished she could stay concern about him forever, where Shoji Harada was out of the picture – out of their picture. He knew it was selfish of him, wanting to keep her by his side, but maybe that was love. He was only just beginning to realise it.

He sent her home after their dinner, and tried his best to not look or behave affected as Hikari went on about the boy she likes so much. All the while he prayed her date tomorrow would be a mess, screwing up the chances of her being a couple with another guy. He knew fully well his wish was unlikely, but pinned his hopes that somehow, miracles do exist. At least, just for that one day – just for him.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: You guys have no idea how grateful I am to know that you are reading the story and enjoying it. :) It is very reassuring!

I am especially excited for all the rooting going on! I plan to make this a rollercoaster ride so brace yourselves! I enjoyed all the reviews left behind! It's nice to know how everyone is feeling :P

To reviewers:  
**Digi-fanCatt** \- I agreeee! She's got to learn who's not right to know who's right ;)  
**clank2662** \- forever and forever!  
**Carupin** \- Thank you for leaving me reviews :) It is really heartwarming! I hope this chapter is satisfying :D  
**CloakBlade** \- Nothing taste sweeter then having to go through the pains for it, eh? :P :X  
**shrimproll** \- be patient, my child :P we know Takeru is meant for only one girl ;)  
**XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX** \- you're making me excited! I do have plans but a lot of things are also thrown together in a way. please keep ideas coming just in case :D  
**Kay** \- I do hope any actual real Kazen Ramen store is as good as I imagine it to be :D

Thanks for the love, guys! Now, get on it! :)

* * *

There were no words to describe the level of anxiety crippling Takeru Takaishi as he repeatedly glanced at the alarm clock on his study desk. The eighteen-year-old was home for the whole of Saturday, too anxious and bothered by the fact that his best friend had been out on a date, to do anything else. Sitting on his swivel chair with the blinding laptop screen staring right back at him, the boy enveloped his head with his hands in frustration. Even his worst days could not compare with today.

Just a few hours before her date, Hikari had called Takeru for distraction from her own nervousness. She told him her date would be coming by to pick her soon, but she had yet to tell Taichi, who was home, about it. They both knew how Taichi would have reacted if told, and Takeru convinced her that there was no escaping from it. He was fully aware that someone as protective as Taichi would flip if he found out his sister had gone on date without informing him. He would also flip at everyone else who conveniently left him out of his sister's affairs.

"But- what if Onii-chan refuses to let me go on the date!? I don't want to cancel it!"

"Taichi is not an unreasonable person."

"He is if he wants to be!"

Takeru laughed. It was true. Like Taichi, he was also fiercely protective of Hikari. The fact that he has feelings for her just made it worse. The blond hoped with all his heart that Taichi would not make it any easy for Shoji Harada.

"You deserve a guy who is willing to take harder challenges than Taichi's interrogations, Kari."

His response was met with an unexpected silence on the other end. Hikari falling into complete quietness was nothing strange for Takeru, for he had seen it all. He had witnessed her silence when she was down, her stillness when she was thinking hard, and her tranquility when she was at ease. This time round, he knew she was bothered by the complete opposite of the latter reason, but he had not seen that coming. She had always acted so cool around guys, brushing the boys who wooed her away so easily, it never ever did cross his mind that she would be so unsure of herself when it came to romance. Then again, how many times had she actually gone on an actual date? None. Takeru frowned. She deserved the best, and he wanted her to know that.

"You know that… right?" Takeru said, reinstating his belief. He could hear the muffled sounds of his best friend holding the phone against her ear, but nothing else came through.

"Hey…" Takeru cooed. It was not how he would normally talk to anyone, but she had always had that unexplainable effect over him. "Don't you worry OK? I already know everything will turn out well. Don't you trust me?" He continued, his tone a mixture of assurance and cheek in the attempt to cheer her up.

He did not know what took over him for him to say the words he said. In truth, he felt downright hypocritical. His fingers held on tightly to the phone that was pressed against his ears as he eagerly poured out warming advice to his best friend, but that was that. Contrary to his voice and words, the eighteen-year-old's ocean-blue eyes were flat and dull. His shoulders drooped whilst he sat on his swivel chair, his heart more confused than ever. He wished he could tell her the truth – that he hated the idea of her hanging out with another guy alone, and that he hoped everything that could go wrong would go wrong. But sometimes, even best friends have to put aside their own interests for the other pal – even best friends have to lie. He was not sure if he were ever going to be boyfriend material for her, but Takeru Takaishi knew very well that he was a damn good best friend. And he was not yet ready to have his importance be replaced anytime soon by anyone.

After what seemed like a long while of deafening silence, Hikari finally spoke. "Thanks, Teeks," she said, before letting out a long sigh. "I don't know how I'd manage without you."

Takeru smiled to himself, but it was one filled with melancholy. For a long time, they had stood by each other through the good and bad. After tonight, he was not sure what could take place and what could change.

"Make sure you get back home safely, and don't stay out too late."

From the other end, he heard Hikari's sweet laughter, and it made him feel a little better.

"I'm not a little girl anymore, 'keru."

The sad smile on his face lingered. If Hikari being a grown up meant she would not need his protection anymore, he wished he could go through all the Digital World nightmares again just for the chance to be tasked to look out and after her.

"I'm just warming you up for Taichi's hammering and lectures later," Takeru joked, a playful grin replacing his small smile. "You're welcome!" He laughed.

"Thank you Takeru Takaishi. It is very helpful," Hikari laughed in return, and he could tell she had rolled her eyes jokingly, her mood obviously less tensed than before. "OK, I have to go and tell Oniii-chan now. Please wish me luck!"

His grip on his phone loosened as he forced an "All the best!" reply to her, before both of them bided farewell and Hikari promptly hung up. The repetitive beeping tone of a dead phone call came blaring in his ears, before their previous conversation slowly sunk in on him. Fast forward six hours from the conversation, Takeru was as listless as before. The blond did wander about his tiny apartment, but nothing could take his mind off Hikari. At last, he resorted to his swivel chair and the Internet – Not that anything had changed for his state of mind.

He took another glance at his clock. _11pm_. The blond frowned; It was getting too late. Just then, his phone vibrated violently with a mild-sounding ringtone on his study desk. It was Hikari. Takeru's breathe stopped short. He stared expectantly at the phone, as if it could answer for itself. He swallowed hard as the phone continued to buzz and move with blinking lights. Frozen to the spot, his nervousness heightened once more. The phone gave a one last flash and buzz before the call ended. The blond let out a breath he did not know he was holding onto. His eyes did not leave the phone as he contemplated his next move. Should he pretend to not know of the call and go to sleep?

_Or should I call her back?_

Before he could consider any other options, the phone buzzed again. Closing his eyes momentarily, Takeru muttered words of prayers to no one in particular. Warmth had left his hands and fingers that instant when he picked up the call.

"H-h-hey," he croaked, swallowing hard.

"Oh my God Takeru! I must have been terrible!" Hikari words came crying through the phone speakers, her voice a mix of desolation and dejection.

He gave her a few seconds, thinking she would continue. However, she did not, so he asked her the only thing that came to his mind, and the only thing he had been wondering about for the past few hours.

"What happened?"

A long pause ensued, followed by a soft sigh from the other end. Takeru took it that the date did not go well, and felt his heart jumped for joy inside. He could have yelped in happiness, but restrained for the sake of Hikari. He tightened his hold onto his phone, getting weirdly excited over her misery.

"If he doesn't even try to hug me by the end of our date, what does that mean?"

The blond's heart did another major flip as he felt a weight he was not aware of lifted off his chest. He could not believe it. Did his prayers come true? Do miracles really happen? If Hikari was so worried over a lack of hug, does that mean that they had no physical contact throughout the near six-hour date?

"'Keru, I don't understand!" She suddenly cried out when he made no comment, obviously frustrated.

"He could be unsure. It's your first date," Takeru went for the easiest response.

"But- Everything went really well! At least to me it was… I don't get it." Hikari was still desperately trying to understand her situation, her voice on the verge of breaking down.

Takeru thought it must have been nerves. They always have a funny hold on people's emotions. Hikari was not the least bit calm when she went for the date, so having her confidence slowly jaded by the end of it was within his means of understanding. The blond frowned, his momentary joy being pushed aside for empathy. Without a second thought, Takeru hastily grabbed his wallet with his free hand and went out of his apartment.

"Where are you now?"

He hailed a cab and got in. Covering the phone's microphone, he told the driver the address he knew way too well even for a best friend. The roads were emptier now, and at the back of his mind, he knew it would only take him no less than a 15-minute car ride to her place.

"You know I'm home… Onii-chan won't allow me anywhere else at this time now."

The cab driver drove steadily, occasionally dropping speed for the numerous traffic lights that got in their way. Takeru furrowed his brows, bothered by the reds that glared so bright in the dark of the night, the crease in his forehead relaxing only when the 'go' lights came on.

"That never applies to me," he said cheekily. It was true. Taichi never minded Takeru being round his precious sister, even if it was late-night. It was a trust he held dear, for it placed him above any other boys.

"That's because we've practically grew up together."

"That's because I never fail to get you back home safely."

Hikari laughed, albeit sounding a little sad. "Well, Shoji was a perfect gentleman today. He made sure I got home safe as well."

He felt a sting of jealousy in him. Takeru could not understand how the guy he grew to hate could effortlessly slipped into any conversation they have. It was not like she had name dropped _him_ on purpose. Emotions got the better of him, he retorted, "I don't think a one-time success would work in Taichi's favour."

It was not the wisest move. Before he could register the amount of hurt his words had inflicted on Hikari, the car had slowed to a halt in front of a row of cream-coloured blocks of apartments. He heard the muffled sniffing from the other end and winced. What had he done now? The cab driver politely pointed at the meter and told him his ride fare. Hastily, he fished out a few notes from his wallet and gave it to the cab driver, waving away to indicate the latter to keep any spare change. Both exchanged humble thank you's before Takeru exited the cab into the cool air.

He knew he was in big trouble, because she had put down the call. Letting out a groan, he ran to her apartment building's lift. The Yagami's neighbourhood was old. The estate may have its paints freshly coated bi-annually and floras and fawn trimmed every few months or so, the state of its deteriorating infrastructure could do little to save its exterior – especially when the lift at 15th floor seemed to be taking a little longer than five minutes to travel down to the first. Takeru dialed her number – once, twice, thrice – but she refused to pick them up. Takeru cursed out loud.

Just when he was about to redial for the fourth time, the lift door opened. The blond briskly went in and pressed the silver button to her floor. He stared down at his phone, wondering if he should try another ring. The lift seemed to be taking ages to travel upwards and quick thoughts raced through his mind. Opening up his text messaging application, his fingers swiftly typed out a string of letters.

'I'm sorry I acted like a jerk. I don't know what made me say those words... pls answer my call?'

He hated it when Hikari gets upset at him. She was good with cold wars, or at least better than he was, and it was something too unnatural for him to bear. The last time they had a mini squabble over Takeru's 'inability to be more serious with their university choices', Hikari refused to talk to him until he was ready to be more thoughtful. His longest hour for pretending to ignore Hikari was a pathetic five-hour record, only because he had basketball training that day. Of course, he was not the only one feeling the pain, because whenever they were to fall out, he knew she would be crying. He hated to be the reason why she cried. Takeru thought it was because they do not disagree on a bad note often that his tolerance for such incidents felt like Hell. But now, he knew he was this way simply because it was Hikari.

The blond redialed, but the weak reception in the lift cut him off before the call could go through. He sighed aloud. After a full minute, the doors slowly opened. Takeru quickly made his way to the Yagami unit, his phone pressed against his ear while calls after calls brought no answer. He stared at the closed doors in front of him. Pressing the bell was not an option, nor was knocking the door. The last thing he wanted to do was to alert the entire household of his presence because of Hikari's unhappiness. The boy frowned. Not sure what else he could do, he sent text messages after the next.

'Kari, I'm right outside UR house now. I'm sorry, but pls don't ignore me?'

'U know I won't leave until I see U, and knw that U R OK.'

For a long time, the air was still and quiet except for the sounds of his feet shuffling. Then, he heard the clanking sounds of metal moving coming from inside the apartment; someone was finally opening the door. Takeru's eyes grew alert, hopeful it was Hikari. A red-eyed brunette peered through a small opening of the door, before swinging the door open noiselessly. Takeru's heart broke.

"K-kari? I'm sorry, I was terrible. I didn-" He croaked, but was cut off in mid-sentence when Hikari threw her arms around him and sobbed.

Takeru froze on the sport. Caught off-guard, his arms dangled awkwardly on his sides and his heart raced. He felt her small stature trembling against his body as tiny sobs escaped her. Warm tears seeped into his shirt, and he gently wrapped one arm around her. It was not her first time hugging him, but their casual friendly hugs do not linger for more than a few seconds. His heart was pumping so loud he could feel the blood in his ears. Takeru prayed she did not hear it, for it would have put him in a position to explain something he could not.

"Hey, silly, why are you crying…"

Hikari released her hold on him and hastily wiped away her tear streaks. His heart sank as he loosened his grip. Gently, he placed his hands over her face and wiped her tears with his thumb. He did not understand why she would shed tears for a guy she barely knew.

"I m-must have been a h-horrible date," Hikari said softly between sniffs. "H-he said 'bye', and… when I said 'see you around', he j-just gave me this p-polite smile and went off…. I don't understand!"

"Did he… message you right after?" Takeru asked, his worries for her deepened with the furrowing of his brows.

Hikari shook her head lightly, her brown eyes downcast. "I did though… I thanked him… But he didn't reply me… And I panicked. I texted him and ask him if everything was OK… I still got nothing…"

"When did you get back?

"A little before 10…"

"Why didn't you call me right after?"

A tear rolled down her eye as she looked away from him.

"He doesn't deserve your time."

Hikari gave her best friend a sad smile. "Maybe it's the other way round… Maybe I don't deserve his time…"

Her words pained Takeru. They also angered him. He was mad that Shoji had purportedly shown interest in Hikari, but to only leave her hanging right after a date. It was a very strange feeling, to feel relief knowing Shoji might have lost interest, but fury for the way the same guy had made her upset through his actions. Seeing the way her eyes puffed from all the crying made him swore that if he were to see Shoji around, he would not let that dude off. It was not innate for him to get worked up or violent, but he could feel his hatred for the baseball player grew larger with every second.

_What an ass!_

"Kari, don't be ridiculous," Takeru asserted. He had a firm hold on her shoulders, leaned down and looked straight into her averting eyes. "Look, maybe this whole thing happened for a good reason. Maybe it was meant to show what kind of person he is. Move on Kari, you are stronger than this."

His words momentarily cut her off oblivion. She responded by looking right back at him. When her glistening brown eyes met his, Takeru suddenly realized how close their faces were to one another. His gaze fell below her eyes and onto her lips. They were slightly pinkier than normal. He thought she must have had pink lipstick on earlier, and was disappointed it was not meant for him. She barely wore make-up, and it was not like he thought she needed any. But he wished she would have dolled up for him. Suddenly realizing he might have stared at her lips for a little too long, the blond hastily broke off his grip on her shoulders. He could feel blood rushing to his cheeks as he straightened up and awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Teeks… If… I don't ever… find someone… promise me, you'll still stay by my side?"

"You know you're being silly… There's a million guys out there waiting to hold your hand…"

_Including me…_

He stood up straight, raised his right hand up to a three-finger salute and solemnly said, "I promise I'll stay by your side, to pester and irritate you so much that you'll regret making me promise you this."

Hikari laughed. Her laughter was so genuine it made him grinned and laughed in return. She hugged him to express her gratitude, and he wished she did not have to let go so fast. Before Takeru went off, he repeatedly assured Hikari of her self-worth. He knew she often battled with her own emotions, and it was the last thing he wanted her to struggle with on her own.

That night, the boy left the estate smiling ear to ear. The air was cool, and the breeze had a light flora scent from the blooming flowers. After all that had happened, he did not think Lady Luck would ever shine on his side. But sometimes, Life did work out in a funny way. And so, she did.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you everyone out there who's waiting on this story and thank you for supporting it! Sorry this one took longer than I'd like it to be, but I hope it's up to expectations :) The comments left behind were extremely rewarding and motivating (and they are so fun to read!). Thanks reviewers!

To reviewers:  
**NekoSparky -** Aww thanks! I try my best! I realised it is tricky to keep at illustrating only one person's POV, but it makes it more interesting... because mystery! Who knows how Hikari feels, right? :P Oh, Takeru will not let her go. I think it's more like will he make it :P  
**CloakBlade -** I can't wait for Takeru to do something already! ;)  
**XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX -** Hi again! Oh don't we all love a little jealousy brewing inside Takeru's kind heart :P I'd love to have Takeru as a brother-in-law hands down if I were Taichi!  
**shrimproll -** A little heartlessness could unlock something far better, right? ;) I think Takeru would have spied! He is just too nice :/  
**Kay -** Aww thank you! I thought he looked/sounded extremely cute too! You might be right, we shall see, huh? ;)  
**meelbermudes -** Thank you! Takeru will be trying very hard :) I hope your wait is well rewarded!  
**Iris Irine -** Thank you for reading! I try my best :) I'd like it to be realistic enough, and it's good to know that you felt that way. :D please keep me on track if I ever stray from reality and started churning nonsense! ;)  
**Carupin -** Yes, better late than never! Thanks for commenting :) Aww keep your faith, Hikari will see it! Hope your wait is worth it!

Thanks for all of your support! This isn't the longest chapter, but I felt that it is ready for publishing. Enjoy!

* * *

Takeru shook his head lightly and chuckled. Across him, Hikari giggled. The two best of friends were chatting about a prank video they had watched online the day before. It seemed like after two weeks of unbearable intermittent crescendo of heartbeats, everything had finally returned to normalcy. They had talked on the phone more often than before, and every little time spent together felt like ecstasy. Takeru had never done drugs, but he was pretty sure that must have been what it felt like – giddy, palpitating heart beats, and incessant grinning to no one in particular.

His laughter gradually turned into a smile, while Hikari was still caught in her own, her one hand clutching her blouse where her stitches were. The pair was so preoccupied with their conversation that they did not notice Miyako walking towards them. The purple-haired sophomore slipped herself uninvited beside Takeru from his back, startling the blond. Hikari on the other hand immediately acknowledged Miyako and gave her a small wave. Despite Hikari's attempt to act normal, Takeru was quick to register the worried expression on her face right before Miyako sat and spoke.

"You did not pick up my calls, Hikari Yagami! Are you OK?!" Miyako's words flowed out quickly, almost sounding like she was stuck between feeling crossed and concerned.

Takeru caught Hikari looking at him, grimacing. Her eyes that were full of laughter a minute back was now filled with nervousness and unease. She had told him that she was not ready to talk about her Saturday date yet, and so he had respected it. More so, he was happy to have left it all behind. However, to know that Hikari had not divulged any details to Miyako was a surprise. After all, it was Miyako Hikari would talk to about boys, make up, and all other girl things Takeru had nothing to share, and it was her Hikari had first went to, to talk about Shoji Harada.

"I'm fine…" Hikari replied hesitantly, not quite sure what to say. "I-I'm sorry… I just… wasn't… in the best of mood to talk…"

"What happened?" Miyako asked insistently, willing the younger girl to reveal her date details.

Takeru winced. Hikari's reluctance had gone unnoticed by Miyako, whose body had inched ever slightly closer towards the young brunette, eager to hear about her friend's date. It astounded him how their older friend could not feel the tension in the air. He was not sure if Miyako was truly ignorant, or just being plain inconsiderate. Takeru hoped it was the former. Miyako had often as per her character, allowed her excitement to overtake her senses. The blond wished Miyako had chosen to sit across him, so he could have easily cautioned her against being on Hikari's case. Unfortunately, Miyako was on his right, so he did the only thing he could think of at the moment. Turning his head towards Miyako, Takeru purposefully cleared his throat, inevitably catching her attention.

"Hey Takeru," Miyako chirped, a big smile plastered on her face. "I'm so sorry, I did see you! I was just distracted by a very important que…" Her quick words had trailed away as her brows furrowed with confusion at Takeru.

In the attempt to warn Miyako, Takeru had rested his left elbow on the table and carefully shielded his profile from Hikari with his left palm. His eyes widened and grew wider at her, then they narrowed and became narrower. Despite his efforts, his body language had failed to convey any sensible message to Miyako, who stared back at him with the most quizzical expression he had ever seen on her face. The boy inwardly sighed.

"Takeru… are you… OK?" Miyako asked, raising a brow at him.

"Hi Miyako…" Takeru replied with a polite smile, his shoulders slightly stooped in disappointment. "I'm good, thanks…"

"OK…" Miyako replied, unconvinced. Her eyes curiously darted from Takeru to Hikari, before persisiting. "So…?"

"It was horrible… I was horrible…" Hikari confessed. Her eyes had begun to moisten as she bit her lower lip, willing her tears to not fall. Embarrassed, Hikari hung her head low in shame.

Takeru felt a sting of pain. The last thing Hikari needed was to blame herself for something she could not have control over. Seeing her like this reminded him of her tear-stricken face from last Saturday, and he hated it. Hikari was far from horrible, and that embarrassment Shoji had put her through just boiled his blood. At that moment, he desperately wanted to reach out to her and hold her tight, to tell her that there was nothing she should be ashamed of, that boys like Shoji should not matter, and that she deserved a whole lot better. But Miyako was right next to him, and all he could do was watched her from across, his heart breaking for her. He mentally swore that if he were to see Shoji Harada again, he would not let him off easy.

"That guy's an ass," Takeru scowled hotly. It was unlike him to comment negatively on most people, yet the boy could not help it. "Let's not waste our time talking about him."

His comment astounded Miyako, who frowned at him. Takeru could not tell if her frown was a sign of disapproval or her way of showing concern, but he could not care less anymore. He hated the topic, and he hated it upsetting Hikari. He was sure they were fine with their conversation up until now.

"What happened?" Miyako asked again, her frown now etched deeper into her features as she looked at her younger girl friend. "It can't possibly go wrong!"

"I… don't understand too… I thought… everything was great… " Hikari sighed aloud. "He… ignored me after the date… I must have been terrible…"

"Kari, how terrible of a date can you be?! Unless you intentionally acted out, there's no way you could have ruined it," Miyako insisted. "What did you guys do? Where did you go?"

Hikari opened her mouth slowly, ready to continue the conversation. Unknowingly, she held onto her breathe, no words coming out. She glanced at Takeru, and slowly but surely, her lips sealed. Takeru had told her to move away from the episode. He had made her promise him that she would stop replaying her encounters with Shoji in her head, to stop analysing anything if she knew they would affect her. Takeru knew those reminders must have gone through her mind as he watched her. His annoyance for the situation slowly dissolved, and he smiled reassuringly at her in approval.

"This whole thing is a thing of the past now, I think we can all move on to othe–"

"No Takeru! It is not the past!" Miyako snapped. "He was into her. He was the one who initiated the date. He asked Kari out. He likes her! I don't believe he would just ignore her! There must be something!"

Takeru did not expect Miyako to retort with such ferocity, and the interruption made him more irritated than he was before. He thought their friend was being ridiculous. Why couldn't she just stop harping on about this? He looked away angrily. His words were already drowned in the conversation; there was nothing he could do to prevent Miyako from pursuing the topic.

"We… went to Tokyo," Hikari started, unsure. Her voice was quivering from nervousness having sensed the tension in the air. "It was a trip to a restaurant he wanted to show me… It was amazing… The restaurant had all these crazy portraits and photos hung all over the wall when you walk in!"

The blond sat quietly as he listened. Even though he could not see her face, he had heard the sadness in her voice going away as she spoke, replaced by another that was much happier. It was a strange feeling to hear her talk about her date with another guy. He felt left out. His fingers that were wrapped round the edges of the bench he sat gripped harder until his knuckles turned pale. Takeru willed himself to not lose control of his emotions, but his heart sank deeper than before. Maybe the person who was more upset by this whole debacle was not Hikari, but him. Maybe he was the one who did not want to hear it nor talk about it, not her.

"He knew about your love for photography?" Miyako inquired excitedly.

Hikari shrugged a little, smiling sheepishly at the idea. "I might have mentioned it before…"

"That's so sweet of him!"

Takeru stared at Miyako in disbelief. Did she just label the guy who left Hikari hanging after a date as 'sweet'? He looked towards his best friend, who appeared surprisingly unperturbed. In fact, he thought he witnessed Hikari brightening up at the comment, as if it had somehow validated and excused Shoji for his douche behaviour. Takeru pursed his lips. Understanding women was hard, but he had never expected it to be this tough. She was crying so badly just a few days ago, painfully distraught by the whole incident. Now she sat opposite him, divulging her date details like it was a celebratory moment. If remembering her liking photography was 'sweet', Takeru wondered what he was. He knew of her favourite colour, her favourite food, to her favourite pastime. He remembered all her secret hangouts, all her dreams and all her fears. Takeru wanted so much to retort, but he resisted. Arguing with Miyako was mentally exhausting. He had to only observe Daisuke's disputes with Miyako during their battle days to know.

"He booked this little private dining room for us as well. It was nerve-wrecking!" Hikari continued, the curves of her lips rising ever slightly at the thought.

Alarmed, Takeru turned his head towards the brunette so fast that he thought he might have strained a nerve. "Why! He did not try anything funny with you, did he!" Takeru asked instantly, eyes widened in shock. Tokyo was crowded, but a private dining area was not. He did not like the sound of it.

"No, don't be silly Teeks," Hikari giggled. "Onii-chan had the exact reaction when he forced me to tell him about my date. I was just very nervous sitting across him in such an intimate setting, that's all…"

Takeru smiled weakly at her statement. He did not want to be thought of as a mirror image of Taichi. Taichi was a great guy; He is a fine athlete, an inspiring leader, and a great protector of Hikari, but Taichi was also Hikari's brother. Takeru needed to be less impulsive and quick to judge. He needed to be more rational. That was the Takeru Takaishi that she knew. He wanted desperately for that guy to come back. Where had he gone to?

"Kari, that's sounds like such a perfect date, it doesn't really make any sense!" Miyako pondered aloud.

"I know…" Hikari sighed.

"I don't think it makes sense. Neither do you," Miyako stated. "I don't suppose Takeru think it's normal as well. Give it a few more days. If he really likes you, he'll sort out whatever he was dealing with. That's when you know he's worth a try."

"Thank you Miyako, I really appreciate it." Hikari gave the older girl an affirmative nod.

It was Takeru's turn to sigh and he did not bother to hide. Miyako was ignorant and stubborn today, two of the least attractive traits that were in favour of Shoji Harada. He hoped Hikari would not buy into it even if their friend were right. What was the point of waiting on someone who did not even have the guts to be polite with rejections? Who did he think he was?

_Coward, that's what he is!_

He checked the time on his watch twice and gradually stood up from his seat. It was a good 20 minutes before his next class, but it was 20 minutes less of the nonsense he had to endure. The girls' eyes followed him as he stood.

"I should go for my next lesson now… I'll see you around, Miyako," Takeru nodded at Miyako, then turned to his best friend. "And you, after school?"

Hikari nodded again, smiling. She was not distressed like before, but the conversation had worn her out in ways he could tell. Her eyes were relaxed, but they were not bright like earlier. It had worn him out too. He returned her smile, grabbed his duffel and walked off, turning round once to give a short wave to the two. The blond swung his duffel over his shoulders. It was heavier today – packed full with his training gears – but training was not the first thing on his mind. It hadn't been for the past few days, the week before, nor the week before the last.

As he strolled, the wheels in his head were spinning. Where do people go for dates? How do they make things special? How do they cross the platonic line to the next? He really should have been more focused when Hikari insisted they watch romantic movies. He smiled to himself as he cruised through groups of students. He had not seen the day coming when he would be thinking about a girl – every minute, every second – until he could think no more. It was exhausting, yet he minded none of it. He would come up with something.

_And it would be all worth it._


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hi hi hi, I'm on fire like seriously all I think about is getting some Takari moment going and so here's my update. I hope this chapter will cheer every Takari fan up a little (not that much, just a little). As always, I love all your support, and reviewers, thank you! Don't feel like you have to review, but I always love to hear your thoughts and also a nice little review chat brings us all closer!

To reviewers:  
**Kinverlins** \- I'm so glad you did happen to read fanfics in English and read through to chapter 8! Thank you so much for your kind words and I hope you enjoy this update! :)  
**Digi-fanCatt** \- Of course :P  
**pandoraclock** \- Thanks, you are too kind. I appreciate you leaving a review, reviews always make my day a little better! You are quite right things will not be easy :P  
**Carupin** \- Your review made me extra happy because I am glad my update gave you joy! I hope this one does too :D  
**XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX** \- We just have to find out, don't we :P Let's enjoy some Takari time first, huh? ;) Hope this update is good :)

* * *

"Hey Takeru!"

A sweaty elbow prodded Takeru's right arm just as his face was buried into a towel. He had half a mind to look up at who it was, but he already knew it was his basketball team mate Kazue. Red-faced and soaked in perspiration, they had all tried to get to the bleachers for a breather to no avail – all ten boys had fell into a group a few steps beyond the outline of the court. He had his knees close to his chest, supporting his hands that were trembling from exhaustion and the towel that was soaking up the hot sweat. Takeru felt comfortable in this position. All he could think of was oxygen and water, but he mumbled a reply that sounded like nothing into his towel in response.

"She's… not your girlfriend? Is she?"

Kazue's words had piqued Takeru's interest. The blond lifted his head up from the towel and followed Kazue's gaze which landed on a brunette. She was sitting at a far corner, but the court was not big. He could tell the girl was concentrating hard as she stared down at what seemed to be a notebook on her lap, scribbling intermittently. It didn't take too long for him to see she was Hikari. His eyes trailed back to Kazue, who seated himself casually beside him. Beads of perspiration lined along Kazue's face, while his lightened hair was plastered to the face. He grinned, jerking his head towards the direction Hikari was, prompting Takeru for an answer.

Takeru felt his mouth going dry. He knew what Kazue was hinting at. He had that question thrown at him so many times, but they had never affected him much before. After Shoji Harada, it became clear to him that Hikari was not waiting for him like he was waiting for her. He could not afford competitors. At least, the lesser the better.

"Why?" Takeru replied, attempting his best nonchalant look.

"Because she's cute," another team mate Seiichi answered. He had leant in between Takeru and Kazue from their backs, obviously having overheard the earlier conversation. "So is she your girlfriend, Takeru? I'm going for her if she's not attached."

"I asked first, Seiichi!" Kazue exclaimed as he shoved Seiichi away, the latter laughing before falling back onto the floor.

Takeru didn't know what to say. Obviously they were not an item, but saying that would only invite his friends to go after Hikari.

"Don't bother. She's… seeing someone," Takeru lied, not daring to look at them lest he gave it away. His face turned warmer from lying than from exercising, and Takeru gave his face and hair a good slow wipe so they would not see it.

"Damn…" He heard Kazue muttered.

"Takeru, you're a bloody lousy liar," Seiichi laughed. "If you like her and don't want us to go after her, just say it, man. We're cool with that."

The blond grimaced at being discovered. His pale face was flustered, embarrassed by how upfront Seiichi was. Now he sure did not know what to say.

"From one guy to another, you better do something quick. A girl as cute as she is, you're lucky she hasn't found someone yet," Seiichi continued with a grin as he gave Takeru an encouraging pat on the right shoulder.

"And I'm in the line right after you," Kazue, who had caught up with the conversation, cheekily added.

Takeru smiled back in gratitude and nodded at them. He knew Seiichi's words too well, like they were words of advice from himself coming out of another's mouth; He had been telling himself the same words every single day and night since the day Hikari mentioned Shoji – even more after her date went badly. It was so easy to say, but so incredibly difficult to do.

"Alright guys, that's it for today! Come put all these equipment back before you leave! Get your rest and we'll work hard again for the next practice!" Coach Kaneko yelled from the court's mid-point, cutting the boys off of their own chatters.

With a few groans and a lot of effort, ten boys steadily rose to tidy up the mess they had made. When cones, balls, hoops and other random pieces of items were safely placed back at their respective storage, the boys were dismissed. Takeru had a quick change of shirt to a dry, clean one as he acknowledged his team mates' leaving. When it was his turn to part the rest, the blond grabbed hold of his duffel and walked right to where Hikari was.

Hikari was already packing her things into her backpack. The way Coach Kaneko had shouted, Takeru would be surprised if she had not heard their dismissal. As he looked at her casually picking her items – a pen, a few papers, her pink notebook, the laptop that laid beside her – the stress his training had left on his face slowly but surely melted away. She looked so serene amidst the clattering happening behind him, and Takeru could not help but smile. When she was done, she looked right up, her smile greeting him. She could so easily make all his worries disappear, he wondered if he had that on her, too?

"Someone looked like she's got a lot done, huh?"

She stood up with her backpack and joined him as they made their way out of the building, a cheeky smile tugging at her lips. "You wouldn't believe what was sent to me after you left for basketball just now!"

His heart stopped for a split second instinctively. Before he could process any thoughts, Hikari had shoved him her phone. Scared beyond words, Takeru took the phone and braced himself for the worst. To his relief, it was just a picture of a young couple with their arms wrapped tightly around one another's waists. Their backs were facing the camera, obviously oblivious to the photographer. The male in the photo looked awfully familiar with his lean stature, big brown hair, and that shirt. Takeru squinted his eyes at the photo, as if that would help his vision.

"Tai…chi?!" Takeru concluded, although it sounded like a question when he said it out loud.

Hikari sniggered and nodded before bursting into a silly fit of giggles like a small child. "So sneaky! I thought it was suspicious how he hadn't been too bothered by my date. Now I know what was occupying that head of his!"

Takeru grinned. He took another look at the picture, but the girl in the photo looked no more familiar than it did on the first. He was happy for her brother. After his own brother started dating Sora, Taichi had never really publicly discussed about his love life anymore. It was not that Taichi was ever like that, but things had definitely changed. Even if the two families still hung out, or that Yamato and Taichi still called one another their 'best buds', there was no denying the change. He thought he understood Hikari's happiness – to finally know that your brother had truly moved on and found love.

"Any idea who she is?" He asked as he handed her phone back to her, glad that there was nothing about Shoji.

Hikari shook her head lightly, but that missing information did not keep her from smiling brightly. "As long as he's happy! I trust Onii-chan's judgement."

"There were a few bumps and errors," Takeru jokily contemplated as he put on a look of made-up seriousness. "But we did not die when we're eight, so I'm sure his judgement's fine."

Hikari lightly smacked his arm while suppressing a smile. Her smile widened when the smack prompted an 'Ow' from the blond as he feigned his injury.

"I miss it when you smiled often… T-they're really pretty," Takeru said as the last few words tumbled out of his mouth. His heart gathered speed. His eyes quickly looked away, nervous. The words sounded so incredulously cheesy compared to when he had them repeated in his head. His right hand gripped the handles of his duffle hard, as if doing so will give him enough courage to forget that cliché he had just used.

Her smile lingered hearing his words; they didn't have the effect he was hoping they would. They have been too close as friends for too long for such compliments to sound romantic. He should have known.

"I have been thinking a lot," she said, her eyes looking far across as they walked past buildings after buildings. "After what you've said, and what Miyako said… Miyako may be right, I wouldn't know. All I know is I have assignments, I have classes to go to, and I have my friends – I have you. I think that's enough for now… I don't need more to think and worry about…"

"Really?" He turned towards her, so delighted and surprised that he stopped in his tracks, beaming. "I thought after what Miyako said today, all these crazy ideas will go to your head."

The brunette laughed at his exaggerated reaction, rolled her eyes and took Takeru by his arm so they would continue to walk. Takeru could not remember being this happy as her hand wrapped itself gently around his elbow, guiding him down the pavement. Tiny electric shocks passed through his body; that giddiness he had been experiencing was coming back, yet it all felt so natural being this close to her. He didn't even get the chance to ask where they were going, but that did not matter anymore. He followed her lead absent-mindedly. She could hold onto him and walk however far she wished to go, and he would not make a sound lest her grip loosened.

But of course it loosened. Her fingers slowly and surely slipped away, but his heart continued to race.

_Ask her out now, dummy. _

"Um, Kari?" Takeru's grip on his duffel's handles tightened once more. This was taking a lot more effort than he thought it would.

"Mmhmm?"

"Let's– go out tomorrow?" The sentences that he had been practicing for days in his head had found the perfect time to turn blank on him now. He had reasons, excuses – what were they again?

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit! _

"I have class, Mister," Hikari replied, smirking. "And I need to get some work done."

"Friday, then? You only have that one morning lecture," Takeru insisted. He could not back out now, not when courage was standing by him.

"And you have three," Hikari answered flatly.

"I don't have to go!" He pressed on, instigating his best friend to eye him with suspicion. "I–I'm… ahead with my readings and work, an–and we should… celebrate!" His words were flowing out faster than he could process. He didn't think he could breathe anymore with his nervousness.

"Celebrate? Celebrate what?" Hikari asked as she looked at him. He had her listening, her eyes brightened with curiosity and her smile widened.

_Shit. Nice going, now what?_

"You!"

_Oh my God, really?_

"Me?" Hikari laughed.

"Yea, why not?" Takeru continued, feigning a confidence that was threatening to dissipate. "Celebrate you, an independent and beautiful woman!"

His words made her throw her body forward as she clutched her stomach, laughing louder. Takeru could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and his stomach turned. He tried his best to breathe, mentally slapping himself, thinking how badly he must have been doing in his attempt to flirt. He had never felt so muddled in his life since his Digital World battles, but even those battles had more directions that what he was hoping to achieve at the moment.

"Kari, that's not how you respond to a compliment!"

"S-sorry, T-teeks! I-I can't," Hikari managed to say as she tried her best to not laugh, but suppressing her laughter only made her collapsed into another uncontrollable fit of giggles.

"You're still laughing?!" Takeru exclaimed, flabbergasted. Her laughter was undeniably contagious, eventually causing the blond to grin. He took a step closer to her, closing their gap as he gently held onto her tiny waist, attacking her with his wriggling fingers like millions of tiny spiders running about her midriff.

The brunette shrieked at the unexpected tickles, her free hands grabbing at Takeru's to no avail. She laughed between her short breaths. When she knew she could not stop him, he felt her squirmed her way round to face him in another attempt to end the tickles and he chuckled. For a long moment, they were comfortably close; his hands were around her waist and her palms were against his chest, him pulling her even closer than her jokily pushing him away. It happened so quickly, like a lightning that struck before a thunder could catch it. When he finally realized their physical intimacy, Takeru froze.

The blood pulsing in his ears were loud as drums. The blond became acutely aware of his every move, and his head became light as air. He couldn't think. She was so close – too close. He caught a whiff of that familiar floral-scent from her hair and blushed. He had smelled this a thousand times – a million times even – yet it was incapacitating him right now. He was becoming incapable of his own emotions. Hikari took the chance to break free from his hold, crouching down as she took in long deep breathes to regain her composure, her face flushed from all the laughing and squirming.

_I love you._

She looked at him, the corners of her mouth curled upwards into a big grin. Her brown eyes were soft and gentle. The short bob hair had grown past her shoulders now, swaying ever slightly with her movements. Her junior high self was a shadow of her present self, and she looked so different now than when he had first met her ten years back. They were both kids then. Had Time made a mockery out of him for not noticing her womanly changes?

_I love you, Hikari Yagami._

"Friday?"

"Friday," she answered, smirking.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hi readers, this chapter took way longer than expected but here it is! It is much longer than the other chapters so hopefully it is up to expectations. Please drop me a little love note telling me anything you feel about this chapter! :)

To reviewers:  
XxThe-Crest-of-AnubisxX - Hi again! I hope you are reading this chapter :) I adore the previous chapter too! :') Happy reading!  
pandoraclock - Thanks! I'll try my best to show Hikari's emotions and thoughts :) It is indeed a challenge but the challenge was one of the reason why I chose to keep it this way :D  
Digi-fanCatt - *prances/dances along* I hope this long chapter is good :D

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It was Friday today.

Takeru looked at his reflection in the mirror, and a young man of near six feet tall stared back at him before a frown took over his clean shaven face for the umpteenth time. He looked down at the plain black tee and the pair of old jeans from three years ago that was constricting his breathing and shook his head.

_Not this. _

It was not an ordinary Friday. It was a Friday he had unknowingly been planning in his head for a long time; so long, he wasn't sure when he had been thinking about it. Scratching his head, he sauntered right back to his wardrobe. His blue eyes scanned his collection of hanged clothes, and then his head turned to look at the mess he had created on his bed with his other clothes scattered all over it. It was as if he had just walked straight into a movie scene when a girl had issues picking the right outfit for her date, except he was in the girl's shoes.

_And it's not a real date._

It was true. Takeru would love to think of it as a date, but of course it wasn't. He had gone out possibly a million times with his best friend, and they were close to the point that no one bothered to tease them as an item anymore. But today Takeru would try to confess. He couldn't do it blatantly though. His brother had said so when they had dinner the day before. Yet if he were to be too discreet, she wouldn't have notice his affection.

_Why is it so hard!_

Takeru's right thumb absent-mindedly pushed each hanger to a side along the rod of the wardrobe. His mind drifted to his most recent meet up with his older sibling. He had found Yamato flipping through a big book at the corner of the sizable restaurant, no doubt engineering related, looking extremely stressed. The bright blond hair stood out so imminently amongst the crowd of darker hair patrons that it took Takeru mere seconds to spot his brother upon entering the place. The weather was evidently getting colder as November crept on them; Takeru had worn a grey hooded sweatshirt with jeans, while Yamato wore a black long sleeved turtleneck with matching dark jeans.

"Hey," Takeru greeted, taking his seat opposite Yamato.

The older male promptly shut his book, which made a soft 'thud' due to its weight. His eyes followed Takeru as the latter sat, and he smirked. "You're looking better than last time."

His brother looked tired; studies must have taken a toll on him. Yamato slid his book into his messenger bag that was on the floor, stifling a yawn. His worn-out appearance nonetheless did nothing to stop a pair of girls from stealing glances at him from across.

"Not as good as you look, apparently," Takeru grinned, his eyes diverting his brother's attention towards the female duo, who shrugged easily.

The server came by to take their orders. It was a restaurant that both brothers had patronized enough times, making deciding dinner choices very easy. After ordering, they handed their respective menus back to their server. Yamato turned his attention to his younger brother and smiled widely.

"Since you're looking less sulky than the last time… Do you… have a girlfriend now?!" Yamato inquired, his smile widening more than Takeru thought it could. "Who is she!"

Takeru made an audible groan so Yamato could take the hint. He really did not wish Yamato to start the evening with such a personal topic.

"Does that mean you don't want to tell me her name, or that she's not your girlfriend – yet?"

"Both?"

"Both!?" Yamato sounded genuinely shock, and it somewhat made Takeru feel bad for not being impressive enough to his brother.

"Both."

"She's making it difficult for you, huh?" Yamato questioned with a grin, although it sounded more like a confirmation. "I didn't know you are into the chase, 'keru."

"Wh…what do you do? To… know?" His hand jumped to his bed of hair awkwardly. "For sure?"

Yamato straightened up, his smile evidently remained. His tired face had brightened, welcoming of the topic of interest. "You want to know for sure? Kiss her. If she doesn't slap you then it's quite clear, isn't it." Yamato chuckled, earning him a friendly frown from Takeru.

"I'm serious Onii-chan…"

"I'm serious, too!" Yamato grinned. "Of course alternatively, get physically close to her, but be very subtle about it. Brush against her arms, bump into her hand, and make sure you look at her. Study her body language. You'll know if she's annoyed you did it, or she's going to get very shy about it. It's always a good sign if she's not annoyed."

"And?"

"And, when you're quite sure she might feel the same way, do something bolder. Hold her hand, or whatever fits the situation. It's quite hard to be systematic, you know."

Takeru slowly nodded as he processed the invaluable information he had just learned. He had so many questions to ask, but he couldn't trust himself, so he conveniently took his cup of warm tea on the table and sipped.

"I'm assuming you're not close to this girl," Yamato continued. "Because being too subtle won't work on a girl you're very close to, like Hika–"

Takeru choked on his tea and coughed loudly upon almost hearing Hikari's name. His sudden coughing caused Yamato to stop mid-way in his sentence to laugh at Takeru's misfortune. The younger of the duo quickly placed his tea down while he tried his very best to stop his incessant coughing, his body shook gently from the attempts.

"Not cool bro," Yamato laughed, showing no signs of learning Takeru's true feelings. "Hikari may not be the girl, but you didn't need to have that big of a reaction! She's a really good catch, too."

Takeru smiled the same awkward smile he gave his brother as he snapped away from his thoughts. The rest of the night went way less tensed, but he could not shake off the words his brother had said. Hikari was a great catch, there was no doubt about that. The countless of guys going after her was evident enough. He stared into nothingness, thinking that if he were to mess this up, he would end up like all the guys that wooed her – rejected. But he had more to lose. He had a decade of friendship at stake here.

_If I don't at least try, I'll have more to lose... _

He returned to looking through his clothes and spotted a dark denim shirt tucked right at the back. Takeru smiled, remembering that it was a two-year-old gift from his best friend. She had spilt water over their chemistry report in senior high right before class ended, the water rendering their writings illegible. Fear took over her then, and he could still recall the panic in her eyes as their teacher approached them.

At that time, they had no time to plan their excuses, so Takeru immediately took full responsibility for the spillage and apologized. Their teacher was not the least impressed, demanding him to stay back after school to re-do the report without Hikari's assistance, because his 'carelessness' should not have wasted others' efforts. Hikari felt so guilty that she gifted him the denim top a few days later, thanking him for always covering her mistakes and mess.

Takeru took off the black shirt he was wearing and flung it to his bed, before slipping into the long sleeved denim top. What used to be rather loose two years ago had now fitted him, his muscles filling out the shirt nicely. He had a change of bottoms to a pair of navy-blue jeans, and rolled back the cuffs of his sleeves as he walked towards the mirror. His hands attempted to smooth the material of his shirt as he examined his twelfth choice.

The male in the mirror looked right back at him. The blues brought out the colour of his eyes, while his darker ensemble made his light hair stand out handsomely. It was casual but not too shabby. At least, he didn't look like he intentionally dressed up for their 267th hangout.

A quick glance at the clock tells him that it was 10.30am. Takeru took in a deep breath and rubbed his clammy palms against the sides of his jeans. Scrambling about his room, Takeru grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone, all the while mentally checking off his itinerary.

_Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Shibuya, across the Rainbow Bridge, Gotouchi Men Matsuri, home. Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Shibuya, across the Rainbow Bridge, Gotouchi Men Matsuri, home._

He was about to leave his room when he smacked his forehead – he had almost forgotten! Beside his bed was a small gift bag, waiting patiently to be picked. Like any typical boy, he had resorted to gifting as a way to ease his awkward approach towards a confession. Of course, he wasn't sure it would help, but he knew she had always wanted an instant camera, so why not? It could be about time they each have one another's mini-sized instant photos in their wallets. The blond took the gift along, grinning at the thought.

His heart skipped a beat as he made his way out of his apartment and down to the building's main road. He was light-headed. Takeru had an idea how he wanted the day to go, but whenever he thought of confessing his affection to his best friend, his stomach would began to flip and twist uncomfortably, sending him disarray. Trying his hardest to ignore his anxieties, he clumsily hailed a cab and got in, only to regret a minute later knowing that he could have taken a slower route by bus.

Takeru stared out of the window as their ride flew past trees and buildings, lost in his own thoughts. He wondered if Yamato knew, and whether Taichi would mind. If all goes well, how would Daisuke feel now that they are close friends? If she said yes, would it change the dynamic of their current relationship? He was so busy thinking, he did not realized they had reached his destination until the cab stopped. His heart skipped again.

"Thank you, I have the exact amount."

"Thank you, have a pleasant day!" The cab driver graciously accepted his fare.

The door closed with a soft 'thud' and Takeru spun around, greeted by the looming towers. He rubbed his sweaty palms against his pants again and strode towards the lift. Some days going to the Yagami's residence felt like going back to his second home, but today felt strangely odd. He tugged at his collar, wondering if it was the shirt obstructing his breathing.

When he had reached her place and was about to ring the bell, the door started to tremble lightly, as if someone was right behind fumbling with it. Sure enough, the door slowly opened to reveal his best friend. She carefully slipped through the gap of the door, a finger placed on her lips.

"Hey!" Takeru greeted in a voice as soft as he could manage.

"Hey," she greeted back in a low whisper. Her smile was playful and her eyes were twinkling with mischievousness. "Mom's home! Can't let her know I'm ditching classes!"

Takeru laughed. He love how excited she gets when she broke her set of rules which would have meant nothing to most people their age. "Ready?"

"10 hours ago," the brunette smirked as she cautiously closed the door behind her. They were about to walk towards the lift when she held onto his arm gently to stop him. He inhaled sharply at her sudden touch, while she stood before him, observing his outfit. "I remember this! Is… it?"

He nodded, his smile framing his face.

She smiled back, her slender fingers adjusting his shirt collar before she smoothed his shirt, oblivious to his stare and the tenseness of his body as she did so. He swallowed hard. Takeru could feel the blood rushing to his neck and threatening to show on his face. Hikari tilted her head and looked at him, her brown eyes softened. For a second, he wanted to pull her in and kiss her.

"It looks really good on you."

"Of course." He replied after a pause with a smirk. As always, she rolled her eyes but her smile gave her away.

They strolled towards the old lift that was still at their level, her tan sling bag wanting to slip off her shoulder each time she moved.

"Where're we going?"

"You'll see."

Takeru hid nervousness well. If it showed, he would have been a wreck. The pounding of his heart against his chest was loud and heavy, making it hard for him to control his breathing.

"You're being so sneaky!" Hikari eyed him suspiciously with a grin. They had reached ground level and were moving towards the nearest train station. "Do you know how hard it is for me to find something to wear? I wasn't sure if this is fine." She tugged at her cream crop sweater and gave her denim shorts a quick look. Takeru's eyes followed hers and he inadvertently blushed.

"You look… nice," he said. He knew his brain was not functioning anymore.

"Thanks Teeks, but I was more unsure of whether it's appropriate… Where _are_ we going?" She tried again, smiling sweetly at him. It was hard for him to keep secrets from her.

"You're so persistent, I give up," Takeru sighed in mock defeat, his hands held high above his head like he had surrendered, the gift bag on his right swaying lightly, catching her attention. He grinned broadly watching her curiosity peaked. "I thought we should go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of–"

"Photography! YES!" The brunette exclaimed, almost leaping off the ground. Her enthusiasm had attracted a few turns from passerbys. Takeru laughed as his companion turned crimson almost immediately from the tiny attention she had garnered.

"And then we can pop by Shibuya with _this_," he handed her the bag. "I thought you might like it."

She took the little gift bag, which weighed heavier than it had looked. A tape had sealed the bag from the content it held and she eyed him suspiciously, a smile playing on her lips. "Did you do something terrible and you're trying to make up for it?"

"I can't give you a present if I wanted to?" He raised his brows and tucked his hands into his side pockets, acting nonchalant.

"No… no, you're being suspicious…" She said confidently albeit unsure, the same smile widening.

"Well… if you insist, I can always bring it back and ask for a refund–"

"No way!" She laughed. The brunette took the tape off the bag neatly. He watched her being meticulous and graceful with the unwrapping of the squared mystery the bag held; he would have just ripped it open.

When the unwrapping revealed a boxed instax camera, she couldn't believe her eyes. Her small hands held onto the box, turning it back and forth. The camera was fully baby pink – her favourite shade.

"Wow, Teeks! Thank you!" She gave him a quick hug, exiting the embrace before he could return it back. "I always wanted one!"

Inside, Takeru winced at his missed opportunity for intimacy. However, on the exterior, the boy acted as cool as a cucumber. "I'm glad you like it. There're films too, we can snap some at Shibuya."

She smiled widely, full of gratitude, whilst hugging the gift close to her heart. "Let's go!"

The best of friends took the train towards the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography. It was one of the many things Takeru loved about living in Odaiba – the island in Tokyo Bay was away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo's crowd, yet when they were to ever run out of places to go within the island, the bigger city was a short train ride away.

Today, he had chosen the museum for a getaway. He knew she adored the place, but could barely visit it for various reasons – a while back she was too young to travel by herself, then there were times when classes and after-school activities were taking too much time. Like most museums, the Metropolitan Museum of Photography's exhibits changes periodically. This day, the museum featured various local artistes' sculptures and local photographers' work. Hikari explored one exhibit followed by another, while Takeru trailed.

He didn't have the eye for photography like she did, but she had always taught him something new each time they were out with her camera. She pointed out the techniques employed by each photographer to him as he stood close, trying his best to understand. Usually, it was easy. After all, Takeru dabbled with arts through creative writing. But not today. Today, concentrating on photography techniques became a lot harder with his mind filled up with romantic how-tos and what-ifs.

It was a roller coaster of emotions for Takeru. Whenever the eighteen-year-old stood extremely close to her any time she stopped, his head would turn light as air, his breath momentarily stopped. His fingers were inches from hers, barely touching, and then she would move away to the next display, as if deliberately making it challenging for him. In truth, Takeru felt hopeless and at a loss. He cared too much for her feelings – more than his – to want to force her to feel the same way he did. After near two hours of exploring and no romantic progress, she suggested to lunch at a fusion café nearby.

After lunch, Takeru led her to Shibuya. Despite it being a weekday, the popular shopping and entertainment district was jam-packed; the railway station was congested, the streets crowding, and every juncture busy with men, women, and children alike. Afraid to lose sight of one another, the brunette stayed close to him. As they made their way through the crowd, her arms occasionally brushed past his. Whenever a passerby were to come too close to her, his hand would find its way to her waist and pull her in. They were so close he could feel the heat radiating off her body, driving him crazy.

It didn't take her long to find a subject for her first instant photo. When she took out her gift and pointed it at a group of teenage boys dressed up in dark ensemble, heavily accented with chains, Takeru then remembered their purpose at Shibuya. They strolled along alleyways and walked past varying heights of skyscrapers, stopping every so often to take a few photos. Hikari was extremely comfortable behind her new camera amidst the unfamiliar setting, her spirits high. To her keen eye, the graffiti and sticker art blanketing Shibuya was a perfect backdrop for snapshots.

"Come on Teeks, let's take a picture together," Hikari said after scanning the area, her voice cheery.

The brunette tugged Takeru's arm as she motioned for him to have a photo taken with her. Before he could have said anything, Hikari had closed their distance. She looped her arm around his, while her other hand angled the camera at 45 degrees high from them. He looked at her, taking in her floral scent and her sweet smile posed for the camera. The pulse of his blood flowing through his veins in his ears grew loud. He smiled at her, wondering if this meant something.

_Click_. The shutter sounded, disrupting his thoughts and concerns. A photo slowly emerged from the top of the camera, plain as paper before colours slowly showed. He took the photo with his free hand and pocketed it; Takeru knew he hadn't looked at the camera in the previous photo. He wanted her to keep a proper one, so he took the camera and posed for their photo for the second time round, his smile as serene as the ocean, as wide as the Moon.

When evening approached, it was time to head back to Odaiba. They took a train to the north side of the Rainbow Bridge so that they could walk across her favourite Odaiba attraction. By the time they had gotten to the bridge, the Sun was beginning to set. The winds were cutting deeper into their skins as they strolled. The Rainbow Bridge may be a tourist attraction, but its ability to attract bouts of strong winds as night falls had made the authorities closed off access after set timings. Takeru was almost certain they wouldn't have made it to the bridge before the walkway sealed; the hours had gone by too quickly when he was with her.

The blond looked at his best friend for approval. This was her favourite place to go in Odaiba, but knowing this fact did not beat seeing the peaceful and contented expression she carried on her face as they walked, unaffected by the occasional loud swooshing sounds made by passing vehicles on their right.

"It's cold today," she said, stifling a yawn through smiles.

The cold was testing their tolerance. Takeru scanned the walkway and noticed they were the only foolish ones without outerwear. Hikari was now hugging herself, rubbing the sides of her arms occasionally to keep warm. He knew it was a perfect moment for him to initiate anything romantic. He had watched it in countless movies and shows with the same old plot, but who knew the lack of originality in drama plots could come to good use? When Hikari let her arms by her sides, he knew he had to do it.

He gingerly took her hand and gently wrapped his fingers around it. Takeru held onto his breath, not daring to breathe. He had tried to keep a straight face, staring intently at the back of a man who was walking in front. The small of her hand in his, and how little warmth it had, made him extremely self-conscious. His hold on her tightened ever the slightest. Thank goodness for the cool air, for he could feel the burning in his cheeks. And of course, for the excuse to hold her hand.

Takeru knew nothing of what he was doing, nor did he know what he should do now that he had taken the plunge. His mind and heart were racing at full speeds in a million different directions. He didn't think he remembered how to breathe. She was not reacting. Should he say something? For a very long moment, all he could hear were the thundering sounds of cars driving past them and the slightest quivering of the ground from the impact.

_Why is she still so quiet? _

He stole glances at her. Hikari's face was flushing from the unexpected intimacy. She had not looked at him either, and had instead, channeled her attention to the roads. Takeru's heart was pumping louder against his chest knowing she had not pulled away. His brother had said that this was a good sign. He continued to look at the man in front, his head giddy with happiness, and his face wearing a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He was slowly finding his breath again.

The pair walked in complete silence. Takeru wanted the bridge to go on forever. The wind could continue to blow and the temperature could drop for all he cared. He was feeling warm and fuzzy inside, and grinning like a fool. He could have sworn some people walking in opposite direction towards them were staring strangely at him, but what do they know? He was holding onto the hand of the girl he liked, and she had not resisted.

When they had reached the end of Rainbow Bridge, she slowly but surely slipped her hand out of his hold. "Thank you Teeks, I'm fine now…"

"No… worries," he said, trying his best to mask his disappointment. He wondered if she knew what he was trying to tell her through his actions.

"Have you ever wondered… what's beyond our lives at Odaiba?" She asked quietly.

"What… do you mean?"

"Look at this bridge… It has been here for as long as I can remember… like how long I've become comfortable with my life here at Odaiba. Do you ever… wonder? About what else is out there? Mimi had adjusted so well so far away, and now Daisuke had moved to Fukuoka all by himself. I know it sounds crazy, but – what if this whole place… isn't for me?"

She looked him in the eyes, a sad smile lingering as they stepped away from the bridge and into Odaiba. Takeru swallowed hard. She was definitely very happy before, why did she suddenly turn so serious? Did he do something wrong? What was she trying to say? Was she trying to tell him something? It didn't sound good.

"People don't change, Kari…" He said, uneasy. He wasn't sure what was going through her head. "You can go anywhere in this world, but you can never change who you are… No matter how far you wish to go, your family will still love you, and I will still be looking out for you…"

"Yea… I just… don't know if I want that anymore…"

Takeru fell silent. Her words were neither cold nor insulting, but they had created an invisible wall between him and her, like the one she had unintentionally fenced up years ago. Had he triggered objectionable feelings and thoughts in her? He looked at her, and then at the Odaiba scene laid out in front of him. He couldn't see what was so terrible being here. Odaiba was his home, and he was surrounded by loved ones.

"Sorry Teeks, I just had to ruin it. Today was truly beautiful, thank you! I think I haven't had that much fun since University started," Hikari smirked, but her eyes were giving her away.

He saw through her easily and wished he couldn't. He wanted her to be happy and thought that he could be the reason for her happiness, but her words suggested otherwise. Takeru was downright confused. The boy thought everything had went really well; she had been extremely comfortable with his intimacies, all of which he believed he hadn't done before. He was following his brother's advice. Did he overlook something?

"Always an honour to get Hikari Yagami to skip school," Takeru smirked back in spite of his confusion and aching heart.

For a brief moment, the blond lad was contented, for his words had made her giggled. She hugged herself as another gust of wind blew. The sky was dimming, its darkness countered by the countless street lamps slowly flickering on. Hikari folded her arms to keep warm, and Takeru promptly wanted to remove his own coat for her, only to realize he wasn't wearing one – for the second time. He frowned. If only he could find the same excuse to hold her hand again…

"Sorry Kari, I didn't bring my coat."

She shook her head lightly with a smile, signifying it was not a big deal. As she faced him, the lights along the bridge came on in a myriad of colours. She gasped in delight and span Takeru so he could see it. Even though they lived on the island, they rarely chanced upon its seven colours in November, much less spotting it lighting up at such close proximity. The Rainbow Bridge would only light up a few times a year for special occasions, and he would like to think that it lighted up for her.

She looked on like a child who had just discovered lights for the first time, her eyes fixated at the luminescence. Unlike her, he only had eyes for her. He didn't think Hikari wanted to leave Odaiba; she just didn't know what she truly wanted. He took a step closer, closing their distance. She turned to look at him, beaming. He hesitated on holding her hand or brushing her stray hairs behind her ear. She was so beautiful. He didn't want to ruin it, so he smiled back.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: It's been a long wait, sorry all! I'm excited to share this chapter with you, please let me know your thoughts - as usual, review, rant, rate, whatever you like :) I love to hear from you!

**To reviewers:**  
**XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX** \- :P Is this chapter juicy enough? Thanks for your support and continuous reviews, they make my day!  
**pandoraclock** \- Step in! It'll be exciting :P I always think Takeru's the best! I hope you like this chapter and thanks for always leaving me reviews 3  
**Carupin** -You had me worried - glad to hear from you again :) Don't apologise, I am happy to know you are reading and still enjoying it! Tell me if you like this one!  
**meelbermudes** \- Hi! I think you'll like this chapter :P I'm sorry I took long though! Thanks for leaving a review! :)  
**Lilfoc** \- Aww thanks! That means a lot to me! Here is an update, and I might consider a Hikari POV - but not so soon :P

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"Takeru, can you bring those plates over?" Yamato instructed as he wiped the beads of perspiration off his forehead.

Without questioning, Takeru brought over a stack of plates and placed it on the counter next to his older brother, whose attention was fixated over the stove and his cooking. Taichi strolled into the tiny Ishida kitchen, hands on hips as he peered over the pots. The brunette gave a nod of approval, then proceeded to grab one of the ladle so he could scoop a small amount to try. Taichi had done it so often that Yamato had also given up trying to stop him.

"I think that needs salt," Taichi commented, placing the ladle back into the pot much to Yamato's horror.

"I didn't say it was ready," Yamato replied as he took the ladle Taichi had used out of the pot and placed it in the sink. "And don't put that back after you used it!"

Takeru sniggered and left the kitchen to the older boys. He exited to find Hikari on the couch, aimlessly switching television channels. He joined her, plopping right next to her, his weight on the sofa distracting her from the television. He smiled, scooting nearer to her warmth. She didn't seem to mind as she comfortably leaned against him. Her closeness calmed him down, like the tranquility that enveloped him right after an intense basketball training. He wondered if this would be what it feels like to have her as his girlfriend. Takeru grinned at the thought; he could get used to that very quickly. The blond thought to stretch his arm across her shoulder, until he remembered where he was and who were with them.

Taichi, Hikari, Takeru and Yamato were all gathered at the latter's unit, a simple and compact apartment donned with the littlest decorations. Having only been resided by two grown men – Yamato and their father – the minimalistic design had made dusting negligible for Yamato, who did most of the house chores. As per usual, Yamato had also taken over the task of cooking, since the others were quite terrible cooks.

"Nothing to watch?" Takeru asked his best friend, who continued to change the channels.

She shook her head gently, this time round passing the remote to him. He took it from her, unintentionally brushing against her hand and touching her fingers as he did so. He thought he saw her blushed. Most days, it was easy to read her, yet today her behaviour confused him. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, suddenly conscious of their chumminess. Could she possibly like him the same way now? Takeru turned his attention to the television, but his heart was a distraction as it gathered speed. After a few channels later, Takeru settled for one of the many game shows Fuji TV was broadcasting – a default since he was little.

"Ahem."

A voice sounded from behind. It was Taichi, who had brought out meals to the dining table unheard by the duo. The ex-soccer enthusiast had folded his arms as he stood behind the couch, smirking.

"Takeru, the view from here will put you in a tough spot to explain yourself to… anyone," he said.

Hearing Taichi made Takeru momentarily freeze on the spot. He instantly broke his direct contact with Hikari, shifting his body away from her. She had also sat up right upon hearing her own brother's voice, tensed. It was as if the pair had shared something intimate intruded upon, and it made Takeru's heart pumped fast with adrenaline – from fear or excitement, he couldn't differentiate.

Takeru wasn't sure if Taichi's comment was pin-pointing his physical closeness towards Hikari, or if Yamato had blabbered about the girl he liked and Taichi was now teasing him. Given a choice, neither option sounded better than the other, and they both made his insides twist uncomfortably. Wiping his palms against his jeans, Takeru stood up to make his way round the couch to where Taichi was. His cold hand jumped straight to his hair in the most awkward fashion as he looked sheepishly at the spread on the dining table.

"Do you, uh… need… h-help?" Takeru stuttered, deliberately ignoring Taichi's comment.

Sensing Takeru's nervousness, Taichi said nothing more but grinned. With his arms still casually folded across his chest, he jerked his head towards the kitchen. "You could bring out the rest before your Onii-chan starts throwing curses."

Hikari giggled, and only then did Takeru realized he had discounted her presence for the short amount of time he was blanked out by Taichi's words. She had also stood up, but Takeru could not muster enough courage to look at her – not when he could feel the heat at the tip of his ears. He believed his face must have turned red from Taichi's words, and the smile on Taichi's face was not making it any easier for him, like he had done something wrong and was caught red-handed for it. Takeru hastily nodded at no one in particular, and went scrambling towards the kitchen.

"Good, you're here. Help me bring those out," Yamato instructed upon seeing Takeru, while moving about the tiny kitchen with such ease one could mistake him for prancing on his toes. "Tai went off and _must_ have lost his way again," he said loudly with mock sarcasm.

"I heard that!" a voice bellowed from the living room.

Both brothers chuckled, taking with it the tension Takeru had before. The younger of the blonds picked up the remaining dishes and brought them out to the small dining table, while the older trailed behind, one hand holding onto a bottle of sake, another removing his dark-coloured apron. Taichi and Hikari had both seated themselves after setting the table with cutlery and cups. Takeru and Yamato joined in, taking their usual seating arrangements of being next to each other.

"Thanks Yamato-san!" Hikari chirped, looking eagerly at the spread in front of her as Yamato poured sake into cups.

"I'm so hungry!" cried Taichi, already holding his chopsticks, ready to attack his dinner.

"You're always hungry." Yamato joked.

"Itadakimasu!" the quartet chimed, before promptly digging into the scrumptious homemade meal. So good was their dinner that for the first few minutes, no words were shared while all four friends busied themselves with chewing and swallowing. It was undoubtable that over the years, Yamato's culinary skills had improved drastically

"Hikari, I heard you went on a date with some guy? Baseball, was he?" Yamato asked casually as he took a bite of his food, oblivious to the fact that her date was not the best starter topic.

Hikari glanced at Takeru, who looked right back, brows furrowed. It was all she needed to know that her best friend had not discussed her date with his brother. Many times, Takeru was extremely grateful of their telepathic moments. This was one of those moments.

"How did you know?"

"Sora," Yamato said matter-of-factly. "Miyako, Sora, me. That guy's lucky, eh, Tai?"

Mentioning the date seemed to trigger Taichi's protective side, whose face was filled with pure disgust and disapproval. "Betcha he's lucky – lucky I haven't got a chance to see him again! He didn't even tell her why they shouldn't hang out anymore. Y'know this is a bad topic – makes my blood boil."

"Look at you," Yamato grimaced in good humour. "Did you scare him away?"

"Like _I_ can stop a genuine steadfast guy from dating Kari?" Taichi snorted. "Pretty sure there're plenty of better guys out there who won't care what I have to say."

As the older boys spoke, Hikari shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking misplaced amidst the conversation centred on her failed date. Takeru looked over and gave her a reassuring smile and a tiny shrug. She made a face and rolled her eyes like a little girl before breaking into a smile, grateful for his silent support.

"I'm not disagreeing! Plenty of better guys out there." Yamato echoed his buddy's words. He held his cup at eye-level, initiating a toast at Hikari. "To better guys!"

Hikari grinned at the silliness of it all. She hesitated for a moment, but gave in and raised her cup of sake, echoing the same words. Taichi and Takeru also raised their cup, toasting.

"To better guys!" Taichi said out loud, directing his toast at his sister.

Yet, for a quick second, Takeru was sure Taichi had held his cup slightly after the toast, swaying it in Takeru's direction with a grin meant only for him, seemingly implying a second meaning. This little action, albeit subtle, sent Takeru's blood rushing to his face, leaving his fingers momentarily cold. Flustered, Takeru gulped his sake by mistake. The gold liquid burnt his throat as they flowed downwards, but the blond was unflinching as he tried his best to remain cool, his facial expression stoic. He thought he was over the days when people would tease him with Hikari. Yet, his sensitivity seemed to heighten today.

"I have something to share," Taichi said, breaking Takeru's thoughts. The smile on Taichi's face broadened.

"Maeko." Hikari grinned, sharing a look with her best friend.

"His girlfriend." Takeru completed Hikari's sentence with a smirk that sent Hikari giggling.

"W-what?!" Yamato exclaimed, pleasantly surprised.

"Wait – how did you two rascals know?"

Hikari tried to control her bouts of giggles while Takeru chuckled. It was reminiscent of their younger selves, where conversations shared between the two would turn into secrets translated into laughter. Yamato was unsure what made them giggly, but his ears perked and his eyes were bright. They were all waiting for Taichi to fall in love for a very long time, and the news came as a pleasant revelation.

The gathering played well into the night. When Taichi checked his phone for what seemed like the hundredth time for messages, he profusely apologized and announced that he had to go find his girlfriend Maeko. Yamato gave Taichi a grin that made him red in the face, a rare sight even for his closest friends. This made Hikari giggled, exacerbated by the alcohol in her system. Before Yamato could make everyone down another cup of sake, Taichi insisted that Yamato had to stop with the sake and that Takeru must send his baby sister home.

"I'm not a baby, I can go home myself," Hikari objected out loud, obviously high on alcohol.

"I'm blaming you, Yamato. I told you _so_ many times she can't take that much sake!" Taichi said, ignoring his sister's complaint as he fumbled for his belongings around the Ishida unit. "Takeru, please make sure she gets home safe. Make sure she gets into the house."

"I will."

After much delay, they all bided farewell to Taichi who left hastily. Takeru shortly collected his and her items, and they too bided farewell to Yamato. As they leave, Hikari's inability to handle alcohol made her wobble badly. He held onto her arm to steady her walking before she could fall and hailed a cab at the streets. The wind was gathering speed at night, but the pair got lucky when a cab pulled up five minutes later. She clumsily dove into the car, giggling at her inelegance. Takeru laughed at her silliness and took a seat beside her.

Along the journey, Hikari very quickly snoozed on his arm, her hands wrapped around it like that of a pillow. Not wanting to wake her sleep, he dared not move. By the time they had arrived at the familiar blocks of building where the Yagamis resided, the weight of her body had stiffened and numbed his arm. Takeru gingerly took out his wallet with his free hand to pay for the cab fare, but this woke Hikari, who stirred and found herself exiting the cab as clumsily as when she had entered it. Takeru panicked and went after her, forgetting to take back his change. He caught her before she tripped, but that only made Hikari laughed more. He broke into a smile and shook his head at her. The cab had driven off into the darkness of the night, leaving the streets empty except for them.

Hikari had stopped struggling. The energy accompanied by sake had dissipated as she slumped her body against Takeru's, still giggling.

"You're such a handful," Takeru joked, trying his best to walk a very drugged best friend to no avail. "You need to stop drinking even if Onii-chan tells you too. I'm honestly going to leave you on the streets if you do this again."

"You," she began, her face that was resting on his arm had lifted to look at him with the silliest lopsided smile. "Won't."

"Try me," Takeru laughed.

She said nothing more, and before long, he could hear her deep breathes. He slowed his walking to a stop, knowing his best friend was unlikely to walk along. Amidst the attempts to assist her, he did not realise his arms were tightly wrapped around her waist. She had clung onto him for support, her face comfortably nestled in the curve of his neck. He became ever conscious of her weight on him. The faint alcohol scent from her breathing made him drowsy and weak in the knees. Biting his lower lip, Takeru scooped her off her feet to her delight as she unexpectedly squealed, and headed towards the slow-moving lift. He had cursed this lift for days, months and even years, but he never thought he would one day become appreciative of the time-consuming machinery. His arms strained from carrying her, and that did little to bother him; seeing her sleepy face gleaming in the dully-lit corridor made it worth the while as he waited patiently for the lift. With each second of looking at her, his heart gathered speed.

When they got to the outside of her apartment, Takeru gently let her down. "You're home," he said reluctantly.

His words and the environment confused her as she took a moment to register her whereabouts. Takeru chuckled at her confused expression, silently admiring the adorableness of it all.

"Your keys?" He suggested with a grin.

This prompted the brunette to groggily fumble for her key in her tiny sling bag. Just as when he wanted to help, Hikari fished out her house key with a satisfied beam across her face, which only made him chuckle. He took the key from her and unlocked her door.

"There you go," he said as he swung open the door and returned back her key. "Sleep tight Kari, don't let the bed bugs bite."

The sober Hikari would have grinned and rolled her eyes, but her drunken self giggled instead. She stood swaying slightly on her feet, while the wind had picked up, mildly ruffling her hair. His fingers swept her hairs away, lightly grazing her face as he tucked the strands behind her ear. The brunette eyes fluttered, shutting her eyes at his touch. Lost in the moment, Takeru's eyes dropped to her lips. The fair share of alcohol in his system fogged his judgement as he inched closer, his hand cupping her face as his mouth lowered to meet hers.

They shared a kiss soft and slow, sending shivers down his spine. Takeru could taste the hint of sweet sake in her and feel the warmth of her body against his. Every inch of him was burning, yet amidst it all, he felt light as air. When he broke the kiss for air, her eyes were still closed as though in a hypnotic trance. Hikari's lips curled into a smile.

"I love you, Kari," Takeru whispered, his hand that was running through her dark hair now dropped to the side to hold her hand. His blue eyes gaze into her brown ones, searching for her answer.

"I love you too Teeks," she said with a silly drunken smile plastered across her face as she swayed a little.

She broke his hold with little effort and headed into her home maladroitly, surprising and scaring Takeru who thought she would have knocked her head against the door. Forgetting to say her good-byes, she then shut the door. Takeru stood by the corridor in the cold night. The soft clanking of metal could be heard inside her house as he stared absent-mindedly at the door. His heart beat had not slowed from the kissed, nor had the warmth of it all left him.

_Good night._


	12. Chapter 12

Takeru took a step forward, both feet barely touching the curve that separates the two-point area from the three-point. Ball in hand, the blond easily lifted his feet off the ground as he attempted another shot.

_Swoosh!_ – his second three-pointer under fifteen minutes.

"You're on a streak!" Seiichi exclaimed as he grabbed the ball bouncing in mid-air, before tossing it back at Takeru. "And that smile. Takaishi, you're hiding something! Spit it!"

The boys were one of the few students occupying the university's indoor court on a late Monday morning. Naturally, most of the court regulars had gone off for classes now, leaving the pair and a few other students with vast amount of space to play with. Takeru and Seiichi agreed on one half of the court for a one-on-one, which the latter regretted. With reasons unbeknownst to Seiichi, Takeru was exceptionally agile and alert this particular morning.

The blond took the ball and stepped back to his rightful position, readying his stance. Seiichi had quickly walked forth, arms up in defense. Both boys were competitive. Beads of perspiration lined their faces, and the shirts they donned were sticking to their bodies. Their arms and legs were glistening with sweat that carefully outlined their muscles. Despite their body language, one could tell hostility was out of the picture from the way they conversed between dribbles and shots.

"It has to be about her."

Takeru flashed a cheeky smile before doing a low crossover dribble to his left, leaving Seiichi with few milliseconds short from guarding his right. Takeru took his chances and dribbled on the left, making big steps towards the basket. His feet effortlessly lifted him off the ground just as when he pushed the ball up in the air. The orange blob gracefully left Takeru's possession, following the direction it was meant to go until it could not defy gravity anymore, before falling as gracefully into the basket.

Seiichi who was guarding Takeru hard, threw both hands up in the air. "OK I'm done. I need a break - you're killing me. I think I need a girl to motivate me too."

Takeru laughed. They both let the orange ball bounced until it no longer did, where it lolled on the floor. He collapsed on all fours at where his duffel bag was. The exhaustion did nothing to take away his adrenaline rush. He had never felt so alive. Every fibre of his being was living through the past moments with his best friend, yet hungrily anticipating for the next. His blue eyes stared up at the ceiling – the plain white textured ceiling with a few light fixtures – but his mind wandered again. It wandered to exactly a week ago, when she greeted him after his last lesson, then it wandered to Wednesday, when he secretly admired her across the table they shared at the library. Thursday she had surprised him with a homemade lunch. The contents were not exactly culinary, but his heart jumped so fast when he unfolded the floral cloth that covered the bento box, that nothing else really mattered. His favourite was Friday, when he had held her hand in the dark of the cinema, which she didn't pull away from. It was the same pathetic excuse of warming her, but as lame as it was, it worked. Above all, nothing could beat the night when they kissed.

He could remember it like it was just yesterday – the way their faces aligned, the smell and taste of alcohol, her warm breathing against his own, the softness of her lips on his. It made his insides all strangely tensed and warm. That night and a few nights after, Takeru found himself tossing and turning in bed, the scene repeatedly playing at the back of his mind. As distressed as he was, she wasn't. Takeru refused to believe she couldn't recall anything, hinting ever the slightest every now and then. By day four, he was convinced that everything hadn't happen for her – the kiss nor the confession. She couldn't even remember being sent home.

But that immense courage had pulled him through so far. Their increased time spent together had raised questions from his friends. They, like Seiichi, were convinced Takeru had successfully won her heart – that it was only a matter of time before the two became official. Even as he denied his friends' conclusions, he wondered if they were right. Was he and Hikari together, like a couple? It was tough confessing to a drunk Hikari. Picturing himself confessing to a sober Hikari only made his legs weak and throat dry.

"Let's go grab lunch now," Seiichi spoke, his voice sounding not too far from where Takeru laid. "I have classes to go to after."

A towering figure loomed over him. Seiichi stretched one arm out for him. He took it and with little effort, Takeru was on his feet again. They made a quick change to dry shirts, Takeru less than impressed by the stares of the scattered female population around the court that was slowly crowding. Seiichi on the other hand, was flashing smiles, sending girls blushing for being caught looking. Eyes followed them until they exited the room.

"She was cute," Seiichi commented, grinning.

"Who?"

"Not Hikari, don't worry." Seiichi teased.

"Ass."

Seiichi chuckled and Takeru laughed. At the cafeteria, they bought their individual food and settled at an inconvenient spot near the bins. Noon was always a bad time to eat; Their usual spots to eat were occupied, leaving them with little options. Hungry boys do not complain though. Sprinting up and down a half-court drained their energy, evident in the ways they gobbled down their meals.

"Date plans for today?"

"Figuring the mystery of her mind."

"Just say it."

"I did."

"Doesn't count when she's drunk!"

"It's hard Seiichi. When I want to say it, she seemed to sense it. She changes the topic." Takeru sighed.

"Do it anyway," Seiichi insisted. "What have you got to lose?"

Takeru's forehead creased from thinking. He believed he had a lot to lose, but his friends didn't think so. If it were any other girl, he would have told her a long time ago. Takeru was not afraid of rejections – or at least he'd like to think so. If Hikari were to start shunning him or behave strangely around him because of his selfish confession, he would have ruined the dynamics of their now perfect friendship. His right eye twitched and Takeru blinked to try and make it go away. Seiichi continued to chomp on his food.

"Wvell, if oo dun oh fer 'er, dun espec me hoo vait aroun'. I'd ask 'er oww," Seiichi joked between mouthful of bites.

"Don't choke, I'm not saving you." Takeru smirked.

"Or Kazue would," Seiichi continued. He checked his phone for the time and realized it was about time to leave. "Perfect timing. I'm heading off now."

Seiichi stood up. He was almost as tall as Takeru, but like most of his Japanese peers, had natural dark hair and dark eyes unlike Takeru. His skin was tanned from outdoor activities, but had begun to lose its brown with the cold weather approaching. When Takeru first crossed paths with Seiichi at the tryouts, the blond was more impressed with Seiichi's skills than the person himself. It took time for him to see that Seiichi – extrovert and outspoken – was someone more than just basketball skills and talk.

"Good luck bud," Seiichi said. He grabbed his own gym bag and clumsily gathered his own leftovers. "See ya around!"

Seiichi threw his hand in Takeru's direction as a form of farewell, and the latter lazily returned the same with a smile. As Seiichi sauntered away, Takeru also started to gather his own share of mess, ready to leave. Off the top of his head, he was checking boxes – two classes today, one essay due in a week, three assignments due in a month. He remembered Hikari had a few assignments of her own to complete and fished out his phone.

'C U after UR class. Library or home?'

Pocketing his phone, Takeru chucked his rubbish and left for class with his duffel. In the lecture room, minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like days. He drummed the tip of his pen on his notepad, his focus slowing slipping. The lecturer droned on about assignments and choice literature, while Takeru looked about distractedly. Attendance was much lower than day one – undoubtedly. A lad few rows down was evidently snoozing, while a couple of students were surfing the web. A few were lost in their own small talks, and then there was himself, staring blankly, uninterested. When he finally got tired of observing, Takeru drowned himself in the imageries of his time with his best friend. The warm and fuzzy feeling returned, like a soft cashmere blanket enveloping his insides. He was incapable of not smiling, and thought he saw a girl looking strangely in his direction suppressing a grin. Slightly embarrassed, Takeru snapped out of his musings.

He checked his phone and was elated to see her reply. He texted her back, but it would be another while before she responds again. After classes had finished for the day, Takeru began to make his way to the building where her last class was. A group of girls walked alongside him, throwing glances and giggling. He turned to them and politely nodded, which only made the girls blush. Back in high school, Hikari used to enjoy teasing him when instances like this happen. She said it was his uncommon natural pale complexion and blue eyes that made girls swoon, and that she was lucky she got to know what was beyond his looks. He began to wonder if he had made her heart skip a beat now and then. Even if it was due to his looks, he would be gratified.

His high-spirited demeanor unfortunately did not last long. As he got closer to the destination, he could see a strangely familiar tall, dark figure standing and waiting with the rest. Every step closer to his best friend's classroom felt like déjà vu – the hairs of his arms and legs were pulling his skin, and a nagging feeling he couldn't shake off made him uneasy. He tugged the collar of his shirt, uncertain what was making him feel this way. He squinted his eyes and slowed his pace, his palms growing clammy, before drawing in cold air that ran through his body like ice. It was Shoji Harada.

_What the hell is he doing here?!_

Takeru stopped short and stared at the irritably familiar figure, anxious. He couldn't comprehend Shoji's presence. It had been over two weeks since they last heard from him. Did he think he could just appear as and when he liked, regardless of Hikari's feelings? Takeru could feel his blood rising, his breathing short and quick. He clenched his fist, meaning to control his anger, and marched right up to where Shoji stood.

"Get out of here," Takeru demanded in a threatening low voice. His words were strangely calm as he tried to retain his composure.

Takeru wasn't looking to cause a scene, but he couldn't guarantee he would remain this composed. Shoji irked him, and if he could, he would have thrown a punch at his face. However, instead of relying on the easiest way to settle his unhappiness, he narrowed his eyes at the baseball player, resolute of his demand. Yet, Shoji merely glanced at Takeru, before proceeding to not acknowledge Takeru's words or presence. The older male took a step sideways with his hands tucked snugly in his side pockets, so that Takeru would be out of his line of sight. Not caring that he had overtly offended Takeru, Shoji continued to focus on the exterior of the classroom, patiently waiting for the class to end.

This infuriated Takeru, who came into Shoji's view again, this time a little too close for comfort. People were beginning to stare as he did so, sensing something was not right between the two. In response, Shoji pursed his lips and refused to look at Takeru, the crease on his forehead etched deep as he scowled.

"You've heard me."

"I'm here for Hikari-chan," Shoji responded coldly. He stepped aside again, folding his arms this time round.

"Don't bother wasting your time, asshole. She doesn't want to see you."

Shoji gave a condescending laugh. "She thought I was insane when I said you like her," he sneered. "Look at you – so nervous. We shall see if she wants to see me _when_ she sees me."

Shoji's words were cold like ice and sharp like slaps on Takeru's face. It broke his pride and pushed the blond beyond his limits, causing him to raise his hands and impulsively shove Shoji backwards. Thrown off guard, Shoji stumbled a few steps back, startling the people around him as they jumped out of his way. The annoyance on Shoji's face darkened. Likewise, Takeru's face was red as blood. He stepped in front, ready for advances, when he heard her.

"Takeru!" Hikari gasped, mortified.

She stared wild eyed at him and Shoji, before her face turned pink registering the latter's appearance. Giving Shoji one last glare, Takeru turned away and stood by Hikari. The blond swiftly took Hikari by her hand as he hastily led her away from the scene. She followed his lead unquestioning, unsure of what had unfolded while she was in class and dumbfounded by what she had just encountered right after class. Takeru on the other hand, was determined to protect Hikari. So intense was his resolution that the lines on his young face deepened with worry and his cheeks hot from ire. His palpitations were strong as he stared into the far distance, his only focus being holding onto her hand and keeping her away from Shoji.

Even so, Shoji had caught up. The push had messed his dark hair and lightly wrinkled his shirt. His messenger bag slung over his shoulder swayed and slapped against the side of his torso as he quickened his pace. He was determined to get to Hikari as much as Takeru was in keeping her away, if not more.

"Hikari! Please! I need to talk to you," Shoji pleaded, his eyes softened and his voice warm.

Takeru had hastened their pace, causing Shoji to frequently check his surroundings lest he would knock into something or someone. Even then, Shoji had managed to alternate between facing her and walking beside her, much to Takeru's dismay. From the corner of Takeru's eyes, he could see Hikari biting her lower lip and avoiding looking at Shoji's direction. The blond wished the baseball player could just take the hint and leave them alone.

"I know you must be pissed. I totally understand. I'm sorry, I am so _so_ sorry," Shoji tried again, harder this time round. He attempted to make eye contact with her many times, but she refused.

For a quick moment, Hikari tightened her grip on him. Takeru's heart jolted and the boy tried to mask a grin. His confidence had swell as he became ever conscious of the tenderness of her skin resting within his palm. His mind could have drifted afar into wonderland, but Shoji's voice sporadically cut through his thoughts, like the irregular drilling at a construction site – annoying and unflinching.

"I just need five minutes, _please_ hear me out, _Kari_," Shoji said, his voice desperate. He reached out to hold her free hand, the sudden action startling the girl who immediately reacted by looking right into his deep brown eyes.

Hearing Shoji calling her by a pet name he so fondly used disturbed him. Takeru didn't know how to feel. To him, Shoji was the least deserving person to call her _Kari_. When he saw his rival holding onto the hand of the girl he liked, Takeru stopped abruptly in their tracks, startling Hikari the second time, who broke her gaze with Shoji. Takeru gently pulled her behind him as he stepped forward, breaking Shoji's hold on Hikari.

"Is it fun leaving people hanging?" Takeru sneered, his voice low and his words slow. "Don't come back here asking for forgiveness, and don't you dare touch Hikari."

"I won't be here if I don't want to be here," Shoji said, but his reply was not directed at Takeru. The older male had fixated his eyes on Hikari, wanting desperately to prove his point. "I just need five minutes–no, one minute. Hikari, _please_…"

"Leave–" Takeru began to say, but his sentence was cut before it could begin when he felt her tugging his hand, before she gently let go.

"One minute." Hikari said to Shoji, softly but surely. She had too, looked him in the eye.

Takeru's heart sunk as quickly as it had swelled before. He thought he had heard her wrongly, but Shoji had beamed, confirming his fear. He turned to her, only to see her giving him a comforting nod. He wouldn't want to let her talk to Shoji, but who was he to control her?

"Kari…"

"It's OK," she reassured. "Just one minute."

He watched them walked a few metres away to a little corner where a pillar stood tall; They were out of earshot but in sight. The warmth in his fingers had dissipated. He needed no telling to know that Shoji had come back for her, and hated how Miyako was probably right. The blond felt like a fool, looking on helplessly as his rival profusely gushed out words, while Hikari's contemptuous eyes turned soft.

_This cannot do._

Takeru trod towards the pair. He wasn't time-keeping, but one minute must have been up. His lips were dryer than before, and his facial expression was stiff. Seeing Hikari going soft on Shoji heightened his senses, like that of an animal acutely aware of the danger lurking round the corner. Unlike an animal unsure of its threat's whereabouts, Takeru could see his right in front of his eyes, who had just extended his damn hand to hold Hikari's.

"Don't push your luck," Takeru said coldly, taking the same hand Shoji was holding onto to break their physical contact. "One minute's up."

Shoji respectfully stepped back, his eyes fixated on Hikari as he continued to refuse to engage with Takeru. "Thank you Kari…"

He absolutely abhorred Shoji. The fire in his belly burned with every word Shoji uttered, further fueled by the air of arrogance the older male carried. Takeru knew it was directed at him, but he didn't think she knew. Just as they walked away from Shoji, she gave Shoji a smile so complex Takeru couldn't make sense of it.

In truth, it terrified him.

"What are his excuses?" He asked when they were away. His voice was soft, but there was no denying it held back contempt.

"They are… not excuses."

"You're defending him?"

Hikari said nothing, leaving him silent as they walked. For a long moment, the only sounds he could hear were their shoes scrapping against the concrete floor and the occasional chirping of birds. He sighed.

"Miyako was right," she finally spoke.

"You said you didn't care."

"He's sorry…"

"And you believed him? Right away? After disappearing on you, you're just going to accept his bullshit?"

"They're not bullshit. I can tell if they are!"

Hikari had halted in her footsteps, too irritated to walk without setting the record straight. Takeru was fuming, his agitation gripping him hard. He too stopped short, visibly upset.

"Tell me, how did he convince you?"

"You are being ridiculous!"

"Am I, now!? I'm only asking what did he say. What did he say to make you believe him?"

"He was just not sure if you are more than a friend, okay?" she spilled. "He wasn't sure if we share something more, because I spoke too much about Takeru Takaishi during our date. Is that what you want to know? Now that you know, are you going to stop doubting my judgements?!"

Her words came out fast, but they did not sound made-up to him. A part of him was elated to know she had mentioned him during her date, to have shared so much such that Shoji doubted their friendship. He wished he knew what she had talked about that could have distanced Shoji, but another part of him – the one that pricked his heart and made him lose sleep – knew what her answer was.

"What… did you say?"

"You are my best friend, 'keru. What else more do I have to say?"

He saw it coming, but a small part of him thought maybe things had changed for them. He had held her hand as they walked the Rainbow Bridge. He had pulled her close when they were out and about the crowded Tokyo streets. When they shared the couch, she had leaned so close. The homemade lunch, the cinema, and all the time spent in library – something was different, he was sure of it. He saw her blushed when she wouldn't in the past. But hearing her words confirmed their status, and even if he were expecting it, it did not make it any less painful.

"You said you were over him…"

"Maybe… I didn't…"

Takeru looked on at her, words lost on him. She had made his heart flutter, and then had it wrung off oxygen again and again. He opened his mouth, but nothing came. Inside his head, he asked out loud to no one if he was being played, or if he was just overthinking signs that were never actually there. He couldn't understand the love game – what had he missed? His disappointment turned into anger, slowly dissolved into hurt.

"I'm going home, I'm tired." Hikari admitted. She bit her lower lip, her eyes downcast. Her fingers had gripped so tightly around her backpack strap due to nervousness that the knuckles were pale.

"I'll walk you back."

"No Teeks, it's OK," she muttered, not looking at him. "I want a quiet time to myself. I'll see you tomorrow…"

She refused to look him in the eye, which only made Takeru go soft. He held out his hand to gently hold her free one, to show her he was still her number one supporter. It broke his heart to go against his desire, but the hint of a smile from her calmed him down. Her small hand slipped from his hold, as she turned to leave for the direction he would have also walked.


	13. Chapter 13

It was awful to hear rumours about someone close to you; More so when that person never ever hid anything in her life away from you. Takeru was sitting alone in the living room of the Yagami residence, staring blankly at the television screen. A movie was playing, but he had no clue what the plot was, nor who the main leads were. Heck – he didn't even know what movie it was. Takeru's mind was adrift. The sounds from the show, blended into the background, became barely audible.

She said she would see him the day after the dreadful Shoji occurrence, but that day never come. She had avoided his calls and ignored his texts. Takeru was never quick enough to get to her classes, because she was never there by the time he reached. Strangely, she was never there even if he was early. It was like his best friend had purposefully cut him off.

It was only when he saw Miyako three and a half days later did he found out what was going on. He had approached the older female with every step feeling like an eternity. The tips of his fingers went numb and his throat tight, as if his body had a weird way of building up a defensive mechanism in preparation for dreaded news – and they were right. He could still remember the way Miyako glanced up as he sat, eyes lit, ready to spew everything she knew. He didn't know why he didn't take the hint to walk off right then.

"I was right!" she said smugly.

Takeru gave an uneasy smile. The air around him had strangely become too thick for breathing.

"I knew he'd come back for her! How are her dates? Have they kissed? Oh my god I _need_ to meet her! All these assignments and she's so busy dating – I can't seem to have a proper chat with her!"

Putting two and two together, Takeru's heart sank. He wished Hikari was ignoring him for his remarks the other day, yet, it was more than just that. She had continued seeing Shoji without his knowledge, and the thought of it felt like a blow to his pride. He stared blankly at Miyako, a million questions racing through his mind. Everything wasn't making sense. They were so intimate for the past weeks. Was he delusional?

"Did she tell you she had forgotten Shoji was away for a while to… I can't remember where now, but that was why he couldn't contact her?"

"Y…yea," he lied, trying his very best to keep a straight face. He turned away from her and began fumbling in his bag, looking for a distraction.

"So weird though. He could still try to reach her through other means right?" she questioned out loud, but Takeru could tell she was least affected by that loophole of an absurd lie Hikari had given from the way she shrugged with a smile, before saying "Oh, never mind that!"

"What else did she tell you?" he asked in feign interest, his mouth turning dry. Takeru wondered if he had paled. The blood pulsing through his veins were loud in his ears, like they were running fast and away from his entirety; He couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, and he could barely feel his hands. If he were to walk off now, could his legs take the weight of his body?

"Not much, really… I think she's really shy about it, but she's agreed to a double date whenever Sho–"

"Miyako-chan," Takeru interjected loudly suddenly. His voice had intentionally drowned out the name he least wished to hear. It caught the older female's attention, cutting her off from her sentence. "Why… do you think he's good for her? I mean… if you had seen her that night… she was… _devastated_."

Miyako looked at Takeru, her animated behaviour slowly dissolved, replaced by a facial expression that had softened hundred-fold. "Because she deserves to be happy, Takeru. He makes her happy, like an eighteen-year-old girl should be."

_I do make her happy, too…_

Miyako's words made him scoff. He very much wanted to retort. He didn't see how Hikari was not happy. In fact, she was fine without Shoji Harada around. Moreover, that baseball prat had upset her before so 'happy' was an overstatement. Thirdly – Takeru furrowed his brows – he couldn't think of a third, but he was convinced his reservations were right and unbiased.

"I know you're going to say something…" Miyako sighed. "Let her be, won't you?"

"She should be back. I told her she can't stay past twelve."

A voice deep and low had snapped Takeru out of his thoughts. Takeru looked up to see Taichi dragging his feet towards the couch and taking a seat next to him. The brunette was in striped pyjamas, his brown hair a big mess atop his head. The blond glanced at the clock and shifted. He didn't even realized he had been waiting for Hikari for near an hour, and that twelve was twenty minutes away.

"_Versus_ again?" Taichi had turned his attention to the television with a frown. "They re-run this so often it's getting old."

"Yea," Takeru replied half-heartedly. His focus went back to the screen, the old classic movie now making a lot more sense. "Nothing's really interesting on TV."

"Yea, not at this hour," Taichi agreed. "Look… I… don't know what's going on between you and Kari, but… you kids are big enough to work it out, alright?"

Takeru swallowed hard. He squirmed in his seat, awkward. His fingers involuntarily tugged the hem of his top out of nervousness. Him showing up so late and waiting for his best friend must have looked obvious they had a row.

"You don't have to tell me anything – I don't need to know anything. I'm going to sleep and I trust you to make sure she gets home by twelve, OK?"

Takeru nodded, grateful for Taichi's less meddlesome style. "I will."

"Of course you will. When have you ever failed us?" Taichi said, a confident smile stretched from ear to ear, showing off his perfect rows of teeth. "Don't stay on too long. You know how I feel about overnights."

Takeru nodded again, a weak smile surfaced.

Taichi stood up and sauntered back into his room. Takeru's eyes followed him as he entered his room, his shadow casted by the dim lights elongated with his every step. The door closed softly on him and Takeru glanced at the clock again. _11.50pm_. Takeru switched off the television and bit the insides of his cheeks in nervousness. Any minute now Hikari would be back, and he had no clue what was he to do. What was he going to say to her? Placing the remote on the coffee table, Takeru stood up with folded arms and began pacing about the small space. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding onto and stopped short in front of her room. He definitely had not planned this out.

With his arms still folded across his chest, he walked over to where the main door was and leaned against a corner wall. The whites of his eyes were quickly turning pink from the lack of sleep. Takeru yawned. He rubbed the sides of his arms, letting the temporary heat warm him. The soft ticking of the clock were the only sounds he could hear – until the shuffling of steps and mumblings from behind the main door. His head jerked in the direction of the door, his hands slowly unfolding. Takeru could make out her voice and her giggles. He swallowed hard and felt himself slowly moving towards the sound.

His fingers reached for the door handle, but stopped short inches away. The blond hesitated, glancing nervously at the peep hole that was beckoning him forth. She was not alone, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew who she was with. He dropped his hand. Takeru stood still for seconds, listening to the muffled exchange wherein a door had separated him from them. He thought to interrupt them, and with a curse, Takeru turned the door handle to swing the door wide inwards.

Nothing could ever prepare Takeru Takaishi for the scene laid out in front of him. She had leaned against Shoji Harada, her petite frame held steady by Shoji's arm that went around her waist. Their lips were locked in a kiss that told Takeru it was not their first. It had robbed him off oxygen. His eyes grew wide in shock before regret could set in. Takeru's legs were giving way, involuntarily taking a few steps back. It was too late to swing the door shut now.

As he had intended, the intrusion had interrupted the pair. Hikari's eyes flew open before she broke the kiss. She turned her head to see her best friend at the doorway and gasped at being seen. Her face quickly reddened. Shoji had no choice but to release his hold, his one hand never truly left her waist. Takeru eyes fell on the hand that was placed against the small of Hikari's back, irked. The older male facial expression had also stiffened, his eyes narrowed and throwing daggers at Takeru. Takeru being at the Yagami's residence was as much an eyesore as Shoji's physical intimacy towards Hikari was to Takeru.

When shock had set in, an unexplainable surge of anger coursed through the younger male. In other circumstances, he would have apologized for interrupting or laughed it off. His eyes darted from Shoji to Hikari – he didn't know who he was angrier with. His fingers had curled into balls of fist. It took all of him to not storm off from the scene, painfully shoving the asshole aside if he did. He needed to breathe.

"H-hi Teeks…" Hikari started nervously. He must have scared her, for she was avoiding looking him in the eye. Takeru noticed her shifting away from Shoji, who frowned. "I w-wasn't expecting you?"

"I was… getting worried," Takeru answered in all honesty. He had been worried that she had avoided him; worried that she was nowhere to be found; and the thought of Shoji Harada interrupting their previous evening refused to go away. The anger he was experiencing slowly melted away as he looked at her. She would rarely be nervous around him, yet standing before him, she looked so timid like they were strangers. For a moment, he searched himself, guilty of a crime he wasn't sure about. His temple muscles slowly relaxed and softened; He had subconsciously forgiven her.

"She's safe with me, you had nothing to worry about," Shoji interjected. The baseball player had stepped closer to Hikari, possessively pulling her closer into his arms, which made the brunette beamed at him.

Takeru quickly diverted his view. His hands found their way into the pockets, wringing the insides of the fabric. He tried to breathe, but why was it so difficult?

"Thank you for sending Kari back, I can take it from here," Takeru said tersely at his rival, sounding the least bit thankful. He stepped back, widening the door a little more to motion for her best friend to end the night with her date.

Shoji opened his mouth in what looked like an attempt to protest, but shut it when Hikari gave him a farewell hug. Takeru turned his head away just when Shoji brushed Hikari's hair aside and leaned in for a kiss on the lips. The couple exchanged a few words before Shoji reluctantly left and she stepped in. The kiss and the cold air made the brunette's cheeks rosier than ever. She closed the door as silently as she could manage and swung the strap of her handbag off her shoulder.

Takeru looked on at her. He had so many questions – questions he didn't know how to broach. Why had she gotten so physical with Shoji? When had they started so? Did she realise how incredibly worried he had been when he couldn't get through to her, how it drove him nuts trying to understand what was going on? He swallowed hard. And then there were _the_ questions. Was she stringing him along for the past weeks? He had been so obvious with how he felt about her, she must have sensed it! He wanted answers – justifications. But, how does he begin?

"You're… not mad at me, are you?" Takeru started, his eyes following her as she closed the door, put down her handbag, took off her shoes and coat, all the while avoiding looking at him.

She laughed nervously, still trying to fiddle with objects and items around her.

"Kari?"

"N-no, I-I'm just…" Her voice faltered as she bent at the shoe rack, her attention now focused on re-arranging the shoes.

Takeru squatted next to her to join her in silence. He watched as she pushed pairs of shoes deep into the rack in unnecessary perfect alignment and followed her. It was almost therapeutic, like they were sharing a moment again. They stayed like this for a minute or two until she had no more shoes to avoid a conversation with him. He heard her sighed.

"It's just – I-I know… y-you don't like him, I can tell… I d-don't know how to tell you…"

"Is… he?"

"Boyfriend?"

Takeru sucked in a deep breath and momentarily shut his eyes, hoping this was all just a bad dream. 'Boyfriend' sounded awfully official, and he wasn't ready for her to have a boyfriend – especially when he was not a part of it.

"Yes… he is."

Silence blanketed the pair. Hikari gradually lowered until she was sitting on the cold floor, hugging her knees. She raised her head to look at Takeru expectantly, who had found his spot on the floor next to her. The unwelcomed pain he couldn't define had found its way back, discreetly yet sharp. Light-headedness crept back, making concentration hard. He knew she was watching him, so he absently forced a smile.

"Congrats," Takeru said in his best cheery voice, looking up at her with a smile that felt unfamiliar. "I-I'm happy for you."

"So… You're not mad that I didn't tell you?" she asked, worry written all over her face.

"Of course not," Takeru replied, as if he was on automated mode.

His untrimmed fingers dug into the rough material of his jeans to distract himself from his distraught state. She had an unexplainable effect over him. He didn't know how to confront her, so he did what he was best at – being a best friend.

"But I did resent you _just a little_ when Miyako asked me questions I couldn't answer. I think you have to make it up to me." He jokingly added despite hurting inside, raising his hand eye-level to exemplify a pinch with his index finger and thumb pressed together.

His remarks earned him a light slap on the shoulder from her, and he genuinely smiled the first time in a long time. She was no longer uneasy and giggled at his cheekiness. He marveled at her beauty; The curve of her lips and the twinkling of her brown eyes. How he had missed her, he so wished she knew. She grinned at him and his heart skipped a beat. He wondered if this feeling would ever go away.

"Kari, please don't do this again… I couldn't find you at classes, and it's no fun," Takeru sighed softly, his voice almost a whisper. "And you wouldn't text me or pick up my calls. I think we've been through enough shit to be able to deal with… _this_."

Hikari winced, hugging her knees even closer to her chest. "I'm sorry!"

He smiled it off and played with a loose tread from his jeans. The duo shared another moment of silence.

"You… like him a lot… I can tell..."

She blushed in response, the hesitation and sadness in his voice disregarded. "Are you teasing me?"

The loose tread had become longer with his fiddling, twirling around his fingers. He didn't like where the conversation was heading, but she was finally right next to him again. Months before, he had never felt so insecure. Every little moment spent with his best friend was like any other moment. How funny things played out differently over a short span of time. He looked at her, thinking how he had quickly become so possessive over the time they got to spend together. But what difference does it make now?

"You did make me promise you that I'll always be around to do that – I've now made it my life mission," Takeru tried a smirk, which grew into a grin when she giggled.

"So, I brought it upon myself?"

"You said so, I didn't," he chuckled lightly.

Hikari laughed. When their laughter had faded, her smile lingered. He felt her eyes on him and became self-aware once more.

"I miss this," she sighed.

"You meant… you miss me?" Takeru joked boldly, yet he could feel a surge of hope in him. His heartbeat involuntarily quickened, like that of an excited child. "Don't let him hear you say that!"

"Oh, please, don't put yourself on a pedestal," the brunette rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was embarrassed from the way her cheeks turned crimson. She was adorable. He had to resist the urge to brush her hair behind her ear, to graze her cheeks and trace the soft jawline that leads to her perfectly shaped lips.

"Aren't you tired," she yawned ungracefully and rubbed her eyes, breaking Takeru's thoughts.

It was almost two in the morning. Takeru instinctively yawned. "I didn't realise it was this late," he said, pushing himself off the floor. He extended a hand out to her, who took it without hesitation. Her hand was cold against his, reminding him of when he had held onto them to warm them. A pang of sadness hit him hard. He steadied his grip and pulled her up, but his hand held on, not wanting to let go. She slipped her hand from the physical connection, smiling so ever friendly at him that it hurt.

"I would ask you to stay, but you know Onii-chan…"

"I know," he smiled knowingly. Quickly patting his pockets to check his essentials were with him, Takeru took his pair of shoes off the rack to put on. "Does… Taichi know?"

"You know I can't hide anything from him… He gave Shoji a really hard time," Hikari winced at the thought.

_Good,_ he thought. Milliseconds later, the blond recalled his previous conversation with the elder Yagami and realized Taichi being on the know must have conjured wild theories to speculate their dispute. The idea mortified him.

"'Keru…"

"Hmm?" the blond was now bent over, tying his shoelaces clumsily.

"Thank you for being the best."

"Why so formal, Kari," he laughed.

"I'm not – I really mean it! And… I-I hope you can find the chance to know Shoji... I'm sure you two will find something to talk about. He enjoys basketball, too…"

His body stiffened. The fingers that were busy tying shoelaces paused for a few seconds before resuming. Takeru said nothing.

"It'll mean the world to me if you two can get along," she continued, biting her lower lip in nervousness.

"I…" he hesitated. Not wishing to dampen his best friend's mood, he muttered coolly "sure".

"He follows the championships that you watch too," Hikari continued eagerly.

"Right," he responded, indifferent to the personal piece. The blond stood and did another quick time check on purpose. "I should go now…" he quickly added, fearful of having to tolerate more conversations about _him_.

"You really should, it's so late! Please get home safe, I'll wait for your text when you are back."

Hikari turned the door handle with as little noise as possible. Her small cold hands pressed gently against his back as she began urging him out. Takeru smiled, knowing she was getting worried about him. Would it be wrong to turn around now, to pull her close for a hug and to feel the warmth of her body against his? He unabashedly resisted her push ever so slightly so he could prolong the moment, but alas, he still reached the door.

"Go now!"

"Wow, that's so rude Yagami, chasing your guest away like that," he joked, shaking his head with a grin. He had turned around in time to see her giggle, the kind that made all his blues fade. He wondered if in another universe, she would have saved all her smiles and laughs just for him.

"Good night 'keru."

He hadn't heard that for a while.

"Good night Kari."

She did a small wave, her free hand brushing through her hair to tame them from the wind. He grinned at her and did a wave before his sneakers traced their steps towards the old lift.

"Takeru!"

Takeru quickly turned. A gust of wind blew, sending him shivering. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself, which did little wonders to keep him warm. But what is cold compared to her calling his name, cutting through the chills, familiar and comforting.

"You missed me already?" he grinned, his eyes lit in anticipation. "That's fast."

Hikari rolled her eyes and broke into a smile. He could see she was blushing from his outright flirtation. Albeit inappropriate, he didn't care anymore.

"I was going to say you don't have to find me after classes, I have plans."

The cheeky grin on his face faded into a thin straight line. "Oh."

"I'll see you in school!"

"Tomorrow," he corrected her. They were to have their usual gathering with their brothers.

She shook her head gently, before adding "I won't be joining". He nodded absentmindedly, unsure of how to feel. He saw her gave another wave before she disappeared into her home. His gaze dropped to the empty spot where he had seen them locked in a kiss – the exact same spot he had kissed her drunken self and confessed two weeks ago. The nauseating feeling came back at him. Takeru clenched his fist and shut his eyes, begging the painful imageries to be erased from his memory.

The bone-chilling wind nudged, like that of a knowing friend. Takeru's shoulders stooped as he walked away, down the lift and towards the main road. The stillness of the dark accompanied him until he hailed a cab and gave his address to the driver. His eyes wandered to the streets dimly lit by street lamps as the cab drove by, but his eyes were hazed, lost in nothingness. He felt empty – a feeling he could do little to describe. Is this the ill-reputed heartache many had gabbed about?

The cab stopped at his estate, but Takeru was looking out of the untinted window, lost in his thoughts – if he had any. He stayed this way for barely a minute, before the cab driver pointed out they had reached his destination. The blond fished out his wallet and began counting the dollars. He handed the exact amount over and with an exchange of thank-yous, Takeru swung the door out to step into the cold once more.

He was careful to stay as noiseless as he could, cautiously unlocking the main door and gently closing it behind him. His mother was a light sleeper and he really was not in the mood to explain to anyone where he was and why he was home late. It's the bane of being the only custodial child of a divorced parent. His mother, despite being the busy working woman she was, justifiably wanted to know every little thing that went on in Takeru's life. He loves his mother, but it was dejected days like today he wished the Earth could swallow him up and no one would ask him anything forever.

Takeru easily placed his removed shoes on the rack and dragged his tired body to his room. The house was pitch black, but residing at the same tiny house for years made it easy for navigation even in the dark. He stared at where the switch for the lights in his room was and hesitated. The idea of bright lights was not very welcoming, nor was shower, so he felt his way to his bed instead and slipped under the blanket. Her voice penetrated his thoughts and he remembered the text he promised her. Takeru pulled out his phone from his pocket and with a few quick taps, found the empty messaging box glaring at him. He tried typing a lengthy one, but stopped mid-way to backtrack his words. He started again, his fingers tapping the screen but at last he frowned and erased the message. Defeated, he typed the simplest and shortest message he could ("I'm home") and pressed sent. The light of the phone blinded him, so Takeru placed it screen side down on his bed to avoid the glare.

_She must be sleeping now_, he thought.

He stared up at the ceiling in the dark, suddenly feeling rather wide awake. He could picture her smiles and giggles, and the sides of his lips tugged, curling into a smile thinking of her. But the night played out in his head, every bit as painful as their first, and every moment counter-intuitive. The way she had lovingly looked at Shoji haunted him. Her soft voice rang in his head, and he could hear her confirming another as her boyfriend. The blond bit the insides of his cheeks and let out a long sigh, feeling the build-up of moisture in his eyes threatening to fall past his cheeks.

_Bzz bzz_.

The buzz of the phone disrupted his thoughts just as when the light from the phone screen flashed, escaping through the cracks of the crumpled bed sheet. Takeru's blue eyes fell on the now inanimate object, his heart heavy. His fingers slowly stretched out to grab the phone, to open the message she had sent.

"_I know you worry a lot about me, and so do I about you. Thanks for always sticking by me. I won't let this change anything between us, I promise. Sleep tight!_"

He slowly released a breath he was holding onto, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not stop the tear that ran down his face and fell on the bed sheet.

He had stopped crying a long time ago – until now.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading and supporting! This was a hard chapter to write, so it took way longer than expected trying to pen down the right emotions. I hope everyone found this chapter an extreme low point (sorry Takeru!), which means I've made you feel what I want you to feel for Takeru. This is still a Takari, just in case you're doubting! :P

**To reviewers:**  
**Carupin** \- Hi! I'm afraid she was a lousy drunk :(  
**NekoSparky** \- Hi! She will, I'm sure she knows Takeru's the best (:  
**MashiroAzuki** \- Hello (: thank you so much, I hope you'll continue enjoying the plot!  
**Guest** \- Thank you (: that means a lot to me! I hope the next few chapters will continue to drip you!


	14. Chapter 14

The old lift whirred its way up, its doors unhurriedly opening to greet the rays from the setting Sun. Takeru squinted his eyes at the glare, raising one clammy hand immediately to shield them. The distraction was only temporary for he stood out from the metal box to the painfully familiar sight seconds after. The same plain walls accompanied him as his sneakers squeaked against the concrete flooring until they took their spot right in front of the equally familiar door.

Standing awkwardly outside the Yagami's residence, Takeru pressed the doorbell once and waited. He had a terrible time falling asleep yesterday, his slightly puffed eyes a clear indication. As if that was not terrible enough, the blond was woken up abruptly late morning by the rude sounds of a vacuum cleaner blaring outside his room as his mother cleaned the apartment. He had groaned, cowering deeper into his duvet, but it was too late because he couldn't fall back to sleep anymore.

It was Saturday, but it didn't feel like it was. Something was amiss. Takeru had threw open his duvet and peered at the phone on his bedside table when a twinge of sadness hit him. The imageries from last night were still fresh in his mind, and more so now that the Yagami's door was staring right back at him. It was like a gnawing pain slowly eating him alive, and he wondered how he had managed to pull himself together from the terrible state he was in in the morning to come back to the spot where it had all gone weird.

He had contemplated skipping the gathering, readying excuses as he stared up at the ceiling of his room in the morning. He could round up a few friends to a bar and easily drown himself in liquor. Maybe if he had hit rock bottom and got all wasted, Hikari would ditch her date to stay by him. Maybe if he were a real threat, the Harada dude would just leave them alone. Takeru clenched his fist as he stared bitterly at the door. He felt like shit. He had grown so fond of this place, where a quarter of his time with Hikari was spent, and wished so badly he didn't have yesterday to blemish it. Takeru let out a frustrated groan. Why had he allowed his brother to coax him into coming?

So deep in his own thoughts was he that it had caught him by surprise when Taichi swung the door wide open. The brunette looked flustered, almost akin to their other friend Jyou Kiddo's frantic state whenever exams were around the corner. From a distance, Mrs Yagami's high-pitched eagerness could be heard. It didn't take long for Takeru to put two and two together, to realise that Taichi and his brother must have unsuccessfully made Mrs Yagami leave the kitchen to Yamato's good hands again.

"Hey Takeru, perfect timing," Taichi greeted brightly despite the stress written on his face. He dragged the young blond in by the shoulder, his voice suddenly dropping to a mere whisper. "Now, I really need your help in getting Okaasan out of the kitchen!"

Before Takeru could agree, Taichi had cried out, "Okaasan, Takeru's here! Why don't you go show him that dress you got the other day? He'd love to share his opinions!"

Takeru grew wide-eyed, flabbergasted by the sudden request. As he slipped out of his shoes, he caught his brother peering from the kitchen with a grin and a nod. He knew Yamato enjoyed witnessing how annoyed Taichi gets whenever Mrs Yagami wanted to get involved in their gathering, especially so for food preparation. Takeru couldn't fault Taichi. Hikari said Taichi was scarred by their mother's years of bad cooking. Nevertheless, it didn't cease to amuse the Ishida and Takaishi brothers.

_Hikari..._

His blue eyes scanned the unit for a sign of the brunette. She was not in sight. Of course she wasn't in – she had said so. Yet, his heart sank, having once again be reminded of her absence. As he placed his shoes in the rack's empty spot, he recalled her nervousness the night before. He was inches from her as he watched her delicate fingers fiddled with the shoes. It felt surreal, like the whole episode hadn't happened.

"Takeru-chan, how are you?" Mrs Yagami had emerged from the small kitchen, breaking Takeru's train of thoughts. Her shoulder length brown hair was tied up neatly into a ponytail. She looked as radiant as ever; The years never seemed to show on her face, much like his own mother.

"Yagami-sama," Takeru greeted politely with a smile as he dipped his head respectfully. "I'm still the same, thanks."

"You are always too polite," Mrs Yagami smiled. "Come, I want to show you the nice outfit I got for myself. Susumu is bringing me out for dinner at a nice restaurant later."

Takeru nodded. His smile lingered, but they felt forced, like he had purportedly pressed his lips together so tightly for them to curl upwards. He liked Mrs Yagami; She was like a second mother to him. Even then, he was dreading small talks. He didn't feel like his heart nor his head were present for it. Takeru sheepishly followed, not before he caught sight of a relieved Taichi mouthing 'thank you'. His lips tugged for a short while to have seen the state of desperation Taichi was in before the smile faded again.

The Yagami residence, despite its compact size, was spacious compared to many Japanese homes. After Taichi had begun university, the Yagamis had managed to renovate their space. Each sibling now had their own tiny room, while their parents' was downsized to accommodate the change. Takeru stepped into the brightly lit room of Taichi's parents', feeling extremely awkward. He couldn't remember ever stepping into this space, except for the time Hikari had to rummage her mother's closet for a piece of clothing. He could just imagine Hikari giggling at him from a corner if she was around, but she was not.

"Hikari talked about her new school so much, are you enjoying it too?" Mrs Yagami slid her closet door open and began pushing hangers back in search for her new outfit.

"It's a big change," Takeru answered distractedly as he glanced at the room. Nothing had changed. It was still simple and neat with the occasional appearance of framed family photos on tables and drawers. "I think we're getting used to the distance and travelling."

"Hikari said you've made it to the school basketball team. It's wonderful news," she continued. "Your Okaasan must be so proud of you."

"You're too kind, Yagami-sama," Takeru's ears were pink, embarrassed. "Thank you."

"Don't be silly," Mrs Yagami smiled widely as she turned from her clothes to face the blond. "I should be the one to thank you. You have taken good care of Hikari. You know well that Susumu and I wanted her to stay in Odaiba like Taichi. We are very glad you are with her. You know how stubborn she gets when she doesn't want us to worry."

Takeru nodded with a grin. He knew it too well, having heard her grumbled about her overprotective brother and overly concerned parents before. Mrs Yagami returned to her clothes to pull out a yellow piece. It was a knee-length sleeved dress, its hem delicately lined with lace. Mrs Yagami turned the hanger and the dress twirled gently, accentuating its quality. Takeru knew nothing about female fashion, but it looked very much like a befitting dress for a modest woman like her.

"It's very nice," Takeru complimented before stopping short. He could say more, but he had no clue what was he to say. Was he supposed to point out the unusual choice of colour, or the white cloth that lined the dress?

If Mrs Yagami was aware of Takeru's ineptness, she did nothing to show it. Instead, she had beamed at the compliment before placing the dress on her bed. "It was on sale, a real bargain!"

"You're really lucky, Yagami-sama. It's not easy to get the right sizes for sales items."

Mrs Yagami's eyes brightened at Takeru's words. "Hikari-chan found it. She has always been a lucky girl."

Takeru smiled a bittersweet smile in agreement. He had thought so too. She had a loving family, a good circle of close friends, and now someone who loves her as much she loves him. Hikari had many things that come naturally for her, unlike him. He had to grow up fast to learn why his family was not like the others', to then explaining and defending his familial image. If they had not battled alongside as the youngest of the Digidestined in their group, would they have naturally gravitate to each other?

"You know, it's a beautiful thing you have with Hikari."

"What… is?" Takeru asked as his eyes followed the dress. His body had tensed as he stared at the yellow piece.

"Your friendship," she said, sounding like it was the most obvious answer. Her kind smile had widened as she bent over her dress to smoothen it. "It's rare. We almost thought there was something more. She gets upset when her Otousan used to tease her about you. You could imagine our surprise when she told us about the new boy." Mrs Yagami laughed, like she had just recalled a fond memory.

Takeru felt his stomach flipped in nervousness. He stared at her long slender fingers running down the dress, but his own were pinching hard at the hem of his shirt. Hearing about Hikari and Shoji was the last thing he needed. Yet, his ears picked up and hung onto every single word Mrs Yagami said.

"…he's a fine boy. Very different from us isn't it? Tokyo city born and bred, and so formal,"Mrs Yagami continued with a smile, getting carried away with her conversation. "Oh look at me! I'm blabbering again... I'm sure you've met him."

Takeru absentmindedly nodded. He couldn't trust himself to speak; Nodding had somehow became the only effective form of communication for him. He didn't even know what to feel. Against his will, he smiled at the older woman.

"We're inviting Shoji-chan for dinner sometime. Why don't you join us? You're just like family. Hikari wouldn't mind."

"Thank you, I-" Takeru began, thinking to reject the offer. Mrs Yagami looked at him with her kind eyes and smile, and he didn't wish to be a wet blanket in her good books. "I will… if I can."

"Sorry Yagami-sama, we need Takeru."

Yamato had stood by the door with his usual grin and his arms folded across his chest. Takeru breathed a sigh of relief to himself. His fingers stopped wringing the hem of his shirt. He had never felt so stressed conversing with Mrs Yagami.

"Do you need my help?" Mrs Yagami asked, almost too enthusiastically.

"No don't worry, please don't trouble yourself," Yamato replied with ease, shaking his head as he did so.

"Then I guess I should go get ready now," Mrs Yagami decided. With a beam, she turned her attention to the dress she'd be wearing for dinner.

Takeru and Yamato politely excused themselves. The door softly shut on them as Takeru walked out from the room. The earlier conversation slowly but surely took an effect on the younger blond. A nagging feeling – an unacquainted one – had stayed with him. It was nothing like he had ever experienced before, like he had been quietly replaced while everyone around him graciously accepted it. His forehead creased in thought. He knew perfectly well that that was not the intention of Mrs Yagami's words. She knew nothing of his feelings for Hikari, so she had talked to him about it like family would. Yet, knowing that did not make it any less hurtful.

Deeply occupied, Takeru headed for the kitchen while an annoyed Yamato trailed behind having been ignored. It was only when the youngest of the trio found himself standing in the middle of the small kitchen space did he realised he had neglected his older sibling.

"You needed my help?" he turned around to look at his brother, unaware of how strange his behaviour was to Yamato.

"You alright?"

"Yea," Takeru shrugged as he turned to scan the small kitchen space. Taichi had looked up from his task of scooping rice into bowls.

Yamato's eyes narrowed at his brother questioningly, but gave it up seconds after when Takeru merely looked back with an expression that signified Yamato was being absurd.

"Food's done, we just need to prepare."

Takeru nodded, barely acknowledging his brother's words. Without saying anything, the boy turned to the drawers on his left. He knew where the cutleries were by heart, and began to collect them from the drawers. Yamato stared at the back of his brother and gave Taichi a shrug, who grimaced in return. It didn't take long before the three had laid out the table for dinner – just in time to bid farewell to Mrs Yagami.

"Bye, enjoy yourselves children," Mrs Yagami said as she put on her white heels to match her outfit. The door opened with a quick turn of the handle, and she stepped out into the cold.

"Bye Mrs Yagami," Yamato and Takeru chorused.

"Bye," Taichi casually joined in. "And we're not children," he added, but the door had closed.

"Hey 'keru, you didn't say anything about Hikari dating that dude," Yamato inquired out of curiosity as he sat next to Takeru. Taichi had scowled loudly, which Yamato deliberately ignored.

Taken aback by the question, Takeru looked at Yamato, his face drawing a blank. Across him, Taichi's face had turned three shades darker. He thought his brother must have had held his tongue until Mrs Yagami left.

"Wednesday, when we met," Yamato prompted "You didn't say?"

Takeru swallowed hard as his eyes began to search his surroundings wildly. He silently resented the thought of people questioning him about Hikari's new found relationship, and wished hard he hadn't made the terrible mistake of coming for the gathering. "Slipped off my mind," he mumbled.

"Well then," Yamato had smirked. "When's your turn?"

Yamato's question made Taichi grin, much like annoying older brothers do. Takeru wondered if they had talked about him when he wasn't around. The idea made his stomach twist uncomfortably. With a nervous smile, Takeru shrugged off the question, and then gestured at the food. "It's getting cold, we should eat."

"Someone's avoiding," Yamato winked at Taichi, who grinned wider.

The trio chorused 'itadakimasu' before the clinking sounds of silverwares hitting plates reverberated off the walls of the small space. Yamato had prepared curry this time round, all of which were plated nicely thanks to Taichi. Not a fan of pairing warm rice with curry alone, the older blond had also taken the liberty to prepare side dishes. For a long moment, the boys chowed on their food with the intensity of a starving child without uttering a word – they had not realized their hunger until they eat. Slowly but surely, they began to chatter.

But Takeru was distracted.

His eyes wandered to the empty seat where she would have sat and felt his throat tightened. She had skipped a few gatherings before – not many, just a couple like everyone else around the table – but they never made him feel this way, like his head was oozy and he couldn't think straight. The image of her leaning on Harada and the way they had locked their lips flashed across his mind. Takeru paled. Unconsciously, he gripped his spoon tighter, in the hopes he could ignore that nauseating feeling sitting at the pit of his stomach that was pushing him to bolt the scene. He quickly looked away to stab a piece of croquette with his fork, unaware of the worrying frown that had graced Taichi's face.

The eating noticeably slackened. Takeru had broken his piece of fried croquette into tiny pieces without eating one. Unbeknownst to Takeru, Taichi had looked across at his comrades, his eyes darting from the older blond to the younger one to discreetly point out his observation. Yamato raised a brow at Taichi, but it didn't take him long to notice his younger brother's less-than-cheerful demeanor. Yamato shrugged at Taichi, for he was clueless too.

"Takeru, how's school going?" Taichi asked out loud. He had resumed eating, but that didn't stop him from glancing so often at Yamato for a reaction and support.

Takeru looked up from his food upon hearing his name. His thoughts had tuned him out from his surrounding, causing him to take time to register Taichi's question. "I-It's alright," he said seconds after, forcing a smile to hide his faze.

"Your campus is massive compared to ours," Taichi continued to blabber, nodding at Yamato who was attending the same college. Yamato had now pursed his lips. "Took us a while to get used to our school, can't imagine how many times I'll be lost if I had gone to yours."

"Yea, we were lost a few times," Takeru gave a weak laugh, remembering how Hikari was so excited to school at the metropolitan city that she had made him explore the school grounds with her in their first week. Unfortunately, they had equally spent as much hours trying to trace their way back. "It's a… big change from Odaiba High," Takeru said, his words laced with nostalgia.

"I'm sure. It was a big leap to not stick around here," Taichi smiled, the gentle kind that older brothers sometimes do. "Yamato, can you believe 10 years back, bunch of us were all attending elementary together? Man, time really flies." Taichi shook his head lightly at the thought.

"Taichi, don't make me sound as old as you are," Yamato grinned, but his blue eyes twinkled at the memories that flood through his mind. "I think I'm more shocked you let Hikari date the lad."

Takeru momentarily froze. His head dipped slightly, but his ears pricked. The plate of food in front of him suddenly looked way more interesting. He stared hard at them, his mind blanked. If only a hole could open up right now to swallow him up, he would be so grateful.

As he fought with his unease, he heard Taichi unabashedly scowl once more, followed by his brother's light-hearted chuckle. Abandoning his food, Takeru glanced up at Taichi. He was not sure why he was surprised by Taichi's aversion since he was so fiercely protective of his sister, but witnessing it made Takeru feel slightly better than before. His breathing slowly returned, but it didn't take long for Takeru to regret his lousy attitude.

"Like I said, it's just not like you," Yamato continued with a straight face as he polished up his plate.

"Damn you Yamato, just drop that. It's – a phase," Taichi said irritably. "New school, Tokyo boys. She'll get over it."

Takeru stayed silent. He remembered her words the evening they walked the Rainbow Bridge: _Do you ever… wonder? About what else is out there? What if this whole place… isn't for me?_

"Lighten up, Tai," Yamato said coolly. "I'm sure the boy's harmless, right 'keru?" Yamato elbowed his younger brother.

Not knowing what better words to say, Takeru merely nodded. Taichi scoffed at Takeru's less-than-convincing response, causing Yamato to turn and raise a brow at Takeru. Takeru cursed internally; He had snapped out of his stupor to realize he was not helping the situation at all. What best friend would he be if he had allowed Taichi to doubt Hikari?

"He's alright," Takeru quickly added. "I trust Kari, I'm sure everything's fine."

"Honestly, Takeru, he's not alright," Taichi grumbled, now his turn to stab his own share of food. "You don't have to stand up for everything she does, y'know?" Taichi had looked up from his plate, his eyes hovering over Takeru.

The younger blond swallowed hard at Taichi's bluntness, wondering if his best friend's brother could see right through him.

"Takeru, please keep a lookout for her, will you?" Taichi sighed. Takeru nodded firmly, but it did nothing to calm Taichi, who had put his cutleries down. The brunette hastily ran his free hand through his thick hair, looking distressed. "She's getting annoyed with me."

_Just as long as you don't become like Onii-chan_.

"C'mon Taichi, give your imouto-chan a break," Yamato grimaced. "It's barely a week and you're driving yourself insane. She's not a child."

_I'm not a little girl anymore, 'keru._

Amidst Yamato and Taichi's remarks, her words crept into his mind. Words that confounded him; words that he couldn't brush off. The same gutted feeling hit him – had she been trying to tell him something? That he was not for her? Why wasn't he more attentive!

"You wouldn't say that if you had a sister," Taichi mumbled.

_Then why hadn't she brush me away? Why hadn't she take her stand and let me know?_ Takeru grew frustrated thinking. His brows furrowed in annoyance, unnoticed by the older two. He wanted to stop asking questions to no one – stop asking why she did something and hadn't done others. Why would these questions matter now? Hadn't she been clear enough?

"Look Taichi, get a grip of yourself," Yamato exclaimed, exasperated. "Hikari's like a sister to us too, so don't make it sound like we don't care. Also, cut her some slack. 'Keru goes to school with them. If he thinks the guy's fine, then he is. Now, eat up! I didn't come here to cook for everyone to see everyone getting upset."

If Taichi was taken aback by Yamato, he did nothing to show it. Instead, he had made disgruntled sounds before returning to devour his food.

"To be fair, Onii-chan… you started it," Takeru grumbled.

Yamato sat up straighter upon hearing his younger brother. His eyes grew wide at Takeru before they narrowed. The mischievous grin re-surfaced as he shook his head. "Taichi, our little siblings are out of control," he said, to which Taichi laughed in agreement.

The dinner for the trio continued, scattered with conversations about Taichi's relationship, Yamato's ridiculous college workload, and Takeru's basketball trainings. Sake accompanied their talk minus Yamato, who had driven and couldn't risk drunk driving. The rejection only made the other two happier. Takeru found himself reaching out all too often for the alcohol. Occasionally, they would reminisce about the past, each wondering about their Digimon pals and how they were in the Digital World now. Even then, re-visiting the same memories was getting stale. But Takeru minded not a bit, for he was glad that at least they never spoke much again about Hikari's relationship.

As the night continued, Takeru found himself frequently glancing at the main door. He began to grow anxious, often fidgeting in his seat and drifting away from his present mental state. His heart yearned to see her – to find her smiling brightly at him when she returned. He hadn't dare text her, thinking avoidance would make the truth less real. As the clock ticked, he hesitated on asking Taichi if Hikari would come back soon. As much as he would like to see her, he wasn't ready to witness her intimacy with Shoji again. The thought petrified him.

"I should head home now," Takeru suddenly announced to no one, cutting into Yamato and Taichi's conversation. He took his cup of sake and drank, shutting his eyes as the burning sensation trailed down his throat.

"Now?" Yamato inquired, very much stunned by his brother's sudden decision.

"Yea," Takeru stood up from the couch, "I can't stay long, I p-promised Okaasan I'll help read her articles." He had lied, surprising even himself at how easy it had become. Takeru's head hurt. The clock's ticking grew louder than ever in his head, warning him of the seconds and minutes wasted. He rubbed the temples of his forehead. If he was not quick enough, he would eventually bump into Hikari. He would then have to watch Shoji's protective embrace go around her, and endure the possibility of small talks. The thought made him sick in the stomach.

"Now?" Taichi repeated Yamato's question, his voice hinting how incredulously it was for Takeru to read articles on a late Saturday night.

Takeru nodded and stole another glance at the clock then the door. He could hear the furious pounding of his heart against his chest. "I'll catch everyone again another time."

"Well, I might as well head off then," Yamato said as he patted his side pockets to check for personal items. "I can drop you off."

"No it's fine, I can hail a cab."

"I could do with more sleep, it's no big deal," Yamato replied his brother easily. He had also stood up, preparing to make a move, but not without first smirking at Taichi's face of disbelief. "Thanks buddy. I'll catch you around."

Taichi shrugged and sank deeper into the couch. Takeru frowned, feeling bad. His selfishness had caused his brother to end his night early, leaving Taichi alone on a Saturday night waiting for his sister to return home.

"Are you sure?" Takeru asked Yamato, who waved him off.

"Takeru, 'kari will be back any minute. Can't you read those articles tomorrow?" Taichi tried, shoving another cup of sake to the younger lad. His face had turned pink from the alcohol in his system.

"N-no, I… really have to get those done…" Takeru insisted, but that did not stop him from downing the cup of sake. Fear was a sickening thing. It clutched at his lungs, constricting his breathing. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the liquid burned his throat again. It felt good – the nasty kind that relaxed his muscles. "Sorry Taichi… Help me say 'Hi'?"

"C'mon! You could ssssay thatttttt… yourself," Taichi was more persistent than usual. His voice was unsteady, with words beginning to slur and blur. Takeru suspected the brunette must have had too much to drink. Yamato had noticed too, for he began to swiftly collect used cups to the sink. Takeru followed suit, capping the half empty sake bottle and putting it away. Taichi protested, waving his arms about to grab Takeru's shirt, only stopping when Takeru had moved and he was too groggy to follow.

"Fineeee!" Taichi cried, throwing his arms into the air in exaggerated exasperation. He looked on at the brothers sloppily clearing up the mess in front of him and struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Do we leave him… like this?" Takeru asked with little certainty.

"You know it's not his first time," Yamato chuckled, before turning to Taichi with a raised voice. "Taichi! Are you OK here?! Do you want to go back to your room?"

Taichi waved them off with a grin. Not long after, the brunette had fell into a deep slumber, snoring softly as his chest rose and fell in accordance to his breaths.

"Well, good night to you too," Yamato laughed before heading to the rack to put on his shoes. "Let's get you home."

Takeru nodded and clumsily went for his shoes. As he bent over, he felt the urge to throw up. The blond fought hard against it. He had wasted enough time – he really needed to go. But the last cup of alcohol had managed to render him incapable of tying his shoelaces. He blinked his eyes twice and thrice to rid the double vision but it was of no use. With a grunt of frustration, he shoved his feet deep into his sneakers, not the least bit caring about the state of his now flattened footwear.

He caught his brother at the front door watching him with a grimace. He smiled sheepishly, feeling lightheaded. It was a mere three steps away, but his wobbly legs didn't think so as he hobbled over. He heard his brother let out a laugh, then his strong firm hold around his arm to steady him. He was grateful as Yamato shut the door and supported him all the way down the corridor, the old lift, and finally to the car. He wanted to thank him, but thought the better of it when he felt the urge to throw up again.

Yamato's car was a second hand dark Toyota made possible from the money he saved from the gigs his old band used to play. It was also bought at the point where Yamato had decided to forgo his band for a highly intensive degree. Sometimes, his brother surprised him. Other times, Takeru wondered if he would have been less surprised if he had grown up living under the same roof as Yamato.

The faint click of the car lock sounded followed by the unlocking of door as Yamato ushered his little brother to the front passenger seat. The door shut on Takeru as he leaned back. All the walking had made him feel worse. He closed his eyes and took many deep breaths. He really didn't want to puke but he could not hold it back anymore. In a frantic moment, Takeru swung the car door open to reject the alcohol and food, just as when Yamato had entered the driver's seat.

So long had he held back that his vomit spew over the cement ground, splattering and barely avoiding Yamato's car. Yamato let out a cry of horror. The older Ishida went scrambling for a spare plastic bag for Takeru, then pressed countless of tissue into Takeru's hand.

"Thanks," Takeru mumbled as he wiped his mouth clean. His head lolled back. Now he truly felt like crap.

"Water," Yamato said as he shoved a bottle to Takeru.

With his eyes shut, he attempted to unscrew the bottle cap, only to realise his brother had removed it. Takeru raised the bottle to his lips, taking a sip. He coughed right after. The water had tasted horrid – a bad blend of sourness.

"Slow down on your drinking the next time. You were taking them like water!"

"Sorry…" Takeru said weakly. He groaned, feeling a million sharp pains attacking his head as Yamato took the bottle from him.

"Use the bag if you need," Yamato said. He started the car while a groaning Takeru fumbled to close the door.

The engine of the car roared to life. Takeru groped for the seat belt, pulling the black strap across his body. The belt slipped back thrice and Takeru cursed. Pissed, he sat still and never attempted to belt himself after, much to Yamato's annoyance. Taking advantage of the empty streets, Yamato halted along the road of the Yagami's block, inelegantly pulling the belt across his brother to secure him.

"Eh… Hikari?"

Hearing her name sent his eyes flying open. In that split second, he forgot about the hammering in his head, the rancid taste in his mouth, and the revolting stomach-churning. Yamato who had leaned close to belt him was looking off at a direction – at two figures moving slowly towards the old lift.

It was no doubt Hikari Yagami. Even from where they were, Takeru recognised that length of brown hair and her height. He knew too well from the way she walked to the shadow that stretched across the pathway. Her back faced them, but not well enough to hide her companion who held her hand and pulled her close. He felt himself spiralling downwards, slowly falling back into the hole he had dug open in the morning. His body turned cold, and he stared as the couple walked off further, becoming nothing but small black dots.

Yamato had watched in silence, too. Unlike Takeru, he had smirked before returning to driving off. Unlike Takeru, he didn't stare out of the window in a negative trance, willing himself to not react. His blood hadn't run away from his face like Takeru's, nor had he got his breath caught in his throat. Everything hadn't faded away – not the soft rumbling of the car engine, or the occasional swoosh of cars speeding beside them. But for Takeru, they all did; Everything had fell away.

The roads were busier on Saturdays, but that did not bother Yamato who hummed a tune to the radio. Their weak heater sufficiently heated up the little space they had, keeping them warm. A comfortable silence ensued. When they were mid-way to the Takaishi estate, Yamato finally spoke.

"How are you with the lucky girl?"

Takeru turned to his brother, his gaze slowly dropping to the steering wheel that Yamato so skilfully manoeuvre. He was still for a minute, watching at his brother's grip of the wheel. As if in slow motion, he looked away and out, a silent sigh escaping his lips.

"She likes someone else now."

* * *

**A/N:** I was overwhelmed by all your reviews (in a very very very good way)! It's the first time I get notifications after notifications of you guys leaving a nice note for me about the story. Thank you so so much for taking time to tell me how you feel about the story progression. I hope this chapter was refreshing yet informative enough. I took this chapter as a chance to show how others are feeling about Hikari's relationship, on top of Takeru's. Remember - we're only in the middle of every bit of drama that's out there!

**To reviewers:**  
**Rihan K.A -** Thanks for sticking around! Sorry it's been another long wait for this one but I hope you'll enjoy this!  
**Anime-Otaku1 -** Aww thanks (: I love that the story got you emotional! Sorry it was leaning towards the sad spectrum /: it'll get better, I promise!  
**LILFOC -** Oh I love your comment! Made me laugh when I first saw it! :D  
**Guest -** I hope you enjoy this chapter featuring the exact plot you predicted it to be :D sorry to have broke your heart. I love Takeru too and I write this story, putting myself in his shoes. I am glad it "dripped" you (hahaha sorry sometimes spelling error happens when I get too excited to publish the chapter!)!  
**XxThe-Crest-of-AnubisxX -** Hello! :P Your comment made me laughed! It's like you had had enough with Takeru being on his own (: Putting Takeru with another girl was never part of my intention but we shall see (;  
**sepoetry -** Hello! Thank you so much for your kind words. You've made me feel very accomplished and I'm so grateful you took time to let me know (: Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
**LullabyStorm** \- Only time will tell (; We're all rooting for the same couple (;  
**StrawberryFields -** Another update! (: I hope you like this chapter although it had no/lesser Takeru x Hiakri scenes. Thank you for always waiting! I'll do my best to keep the chapters coming quicker! It gets tough with my day job cutting into my personal time but I'm also getting excited knowing how we're now already at chapter 14!  
**Hira Toryu -** Oh I love your comment! :D I have been dying to write my previous chapter for the longest time, because I know that would hit a new low for Takeru, and also that's when drama truly starts! I can't wait to show you the journey, which will all be worthwhile (: Thanks for sticking by and leaving such a lovely comment (: I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
**Carupin** \- Yikes! I'm seeing people getting annoyed with Hikari :'D Don't worry my dear friend, there's a reason for everything that happens in life, isn't it? :P I also think Takeru needs a distraction but who knows? He's a boy in love (;  
**JenG43 -** Thank you new reviewer! I'm glad I could bring the story to life, and to have left an impression (: I hope you're still around to read!


	15. Chapter 15

_Tud. Tud. Tud. Tud._

In between fingers, a pencil swung back and forth. It drummed against a solid black plastic, almost trance-like. With every hit, a dull and monotonous sound followed. It had a near perfect rhythmic pattern, like the ticking of a clock's handles, or the gentle pulse running through veins felt by palpation.

It was constant.

Its constant drowned out the surroundings. No longer could he hear the stout figure in front droning on about the prose of the week. The whispering from students coming from all sides had also faded away. Takeru had entered a standstill. He was the standstill.

Before his wild and lofty dreams, she had been his constant. She was all he saw and knew when they were silly kids stubbornly attached to their brothers – her resisting Taichi's clinginess, him clinging to Yamato. They never understood what the world had set them up for, but they were young and naïve. If they stuck together, they had Angemon and Angewomon. They had the world.

It could have been someone else's destiny to fight for the Digital World, but it chose him and it found her. They could have been at loggerheads with each other, or as awkward as a pair of mismatched socks, but no – they clicked. They could have become strangers after their first episode of battles, but funnily, the separation only brought them closer when he relocated to Odaiba.

And with each passing day, she slowly defined him. Her laughter easily tugged his lips, while her struggles pained him. They shared stories and beyond, dived deep into imaginings and big visions, but not once had he considered she would step back from him for another someone.

So Takeru sulked.

He had sulked on Sunday after their phone conversation, dominated by topics surrounding her boyfriend. He had sulked on Monday, because he had lost the exclusivity to walk to school or home with her. His mopey mood followed him into Tuesday when she chose to sit in on a baseball practice over a lunch catch-up. Yesterday was unsurprisingly bad timing too, because she had to check out "Shoji's favourite hangout".

_Tud. Tud. Tud. Tud._

The pencil in his hand continued to hit the desk. Takeru remained still with his back against the hard plastic chair, slumped and barely sliding off. The grey sweater he wore rose and fell softly with his every breath. It safely concealed the eye-catching red jersey underneath, but left his loud shorts exposed. The hood that loosely framed his head hid his profile from most. He stared passed his lecturer, dazed. The blond sunk deeper into his seat, with every passing minute looking like he had further fused with the dark-coloured plastic.

He wondered if he was a fool, for picturing her giggling in his dreams, where his one arm had wrapped itself protectively around her waist; To see her soft brown eyes lit as she looked adoringly at his face. What would have made his heart skip a beat made his heart sink. Was this how Daisuke Motomiya felt when he gave up the chase and moved past the stage of denial? Takeru had never thought he'd be like Daisuke – another number. She had always chosen him over everyone else. What happened this time?

Around him, a mishmash of sounds grew louder. The ruffling of papers, creaking of tables, and zipping of bags and pencil cases were accompanied by the gradual standing of young adults, some moving quickly for their next class, others dragging their feet across the room to the door. It woke Takeru from his oblivion. He blinked once, twice, then pushed himself up against the chair. A frown defined his face as he realised he hadn't jot any notes, nor listened to the class. He probably had to find someone and ask them for information.

Grabbing the pencil and shoving the untouched notepad into his duffle, Takeru rose from his seat. He was the last to exit the door, and for the short moment he was alone in the vacant space, he paused. The emptiness was comforting. He knew when he stepped out of the air-conditioned auditorium, he would join a swarm of moving college students, except he would have no idea where he should be headed to now that his last class for the day had ended.

He breathed deep and resisted a sigh. Unenthusiastically, Takeru dragged his neon basketball shoes along the ground to the exit. He pushed the door open with his free hand, palm against the cool wooden surface as the natural light hit his face. Mildly annoyed, the blond shifted his head so his hood shielded him from the Sun. Takeru found himself watching blurs of figures darting one another amidst chaos and rush. He peered from under his hood for her, but quickly dismissed such a silly longing. Without another thought, he pulled his strap across his shoulder, tucked his hands deep into his side pockets, and joined the crowd of moving students.

He stood out as much as he tried to blend. As the crowd stared at phones or were in groups and pairs, Takeru had hid in the comforts of his oversized sweater. Wherein they had moved fast, his steps were excruciatingly slow for the unfortunate students trailing behind him. He took no notice. When the surrounding sounds became just a tad unbearable, the blond casually pulled out his earpiece from his sweater pocket. He slid the little brown knobs in his ear, allowing the beats to drown out the noise.

But no amount of music could take away the fact that he missed her.

Nestled comfortably within the thick cloth and consumed by music, his miserable thoughts continued to eat him. The emptiness feeling sat itself comfortably in him, not looking to leave anytime soon. Takeru pursed his lips. It had only been five days since he last saw her, and despite their sporadic exchange of messages, he was growing ever conscious of their distance. He missed seeing her right after her class, their walking home together, and their natural gravitation towards each other. He missed her standing right next by him, talking, laughing, and her eye rolls, where her warmth radiated off her as she walked close, and the subtle floral scent of her soft hair whenever she turned. Takeru never knew he would miss her this much.

Heck! He didn't think he could miss anyone this much.

Succumbing to the negativity, a tug at the nape of his neck took him by surprise. The careless slip of his hood fell backwards. Out of reflex, Takeru stopped in his tracks and turned in the direction of the pull. He caught the blurry outline of Hikari hopping out of his vision, grinning cheekily before him.

Takeru's eyes lit and his heart missed a beat. Quite disbelieving, he did a double take. His longing hadn't cause hallucination – She was indeed in front of him, hands tucked behind her with tippy-toes causing a slight sway and bop to her standing still. She tilted her head, raised her brows and grinned generously, seemingly proud to have caught her best friend off guard. The sight of her brought a smile to his lips too. While the student crowd – now much smaller – moved with time, Takeru found himself in another standstill, this time with the girl he loves.

"Hey," she greeted with a soft smirk. The light had reflected off her brown eyes just as when she turned to step next to him, glazing a shade of honey over the usually darker orbs. Had it always been like that? He hadn't noticed. She didn't know, but it had stolen another beat from his heart.

"Where are we going?" she asked so casually, like they had planned to meet.

When she couldn't see it, Takeru smiled to himself. Warmth spread through his body, like the trickle of sand down an hourglass, slowly filling up the hollowness that haunted his past week. He paced her steps, every so often stealing glances. He knew she had made her choice, but his heart refused to be still. He tucked his thumbs in his side pockets, leaving his fingers against the smooth exterior surface of his jersey shorts. The weight of negativity had somehow dissipated with her presence.

"Donburi at Itou's."

They walked alongside each other in easy silence, more often interrupted by her lamenting about piling school work and her growing disinterest in psychology. Takeru in good nature, joked that she must have placed her interest elsewhere, to which she blushed.

"How was Yukawa Sensei today?"

"Not… the best," he replied with half-truths. The part where he was guilty for not paying attention in class was easily overridden by his appreciation towards Hikari for remembering his schedule.

"Maybe… you weren't listening very much?" she suggested with a tease.

Takeru chuckled, having been very much exposed. It was also then he realised he hadn't genuinely laughed for a while. Intuitively, he playfully ruffled her hair to get her back for the cheekiness. Hikari squealed and dodged, startling a group of four young adults by a pillar two metres from the duo. She skipped a few steps away from him, giggling all the same. With her back away from Takeru, she retreated while he walked to close their distance. Her brown orbs dilated in anticipation of his advancement, and she bit her lower lip in an attempt to control her laughs.

Takeru followed after, where her contagious giggling made him laugh. She was gaining speed to match his steps, but her carelessness to check her path drew her close to an oblivious student behind her. In a quick second, Takeru's eyes widened in distress.

"Kari, stop!" he called out in a frantic panic.

Takeru lunged forward, one hand outstretched to grab her before she could walk into the stranger. His strong grasp pulled her close, and a gasp left her mouth. Her eyes had grown, taken aback by what had just happened. The unintentional short seconds brought their bodies close, faces inches from each other. Her uneven breathing and the round petrified eyes were all he was hearing and seeing. The heat creeped up his neck. Conscious of his attraction, his eyes glazed over her lips. They were slightly parted, inviting him to move closer, and closer, until their lips could meet. His heart beat louder and louder.

Then her eyes were downcast. Her face turned beetroot red and Takeru immediately released his hold out of embarrassment. She smiled awkwardly and he respectfully stepped back to give her space.

"Y-you were about to knock into someone," he quickly explained, the hand that held hers jumped to the back of his neck. Nervous, he rubbed his neck and gave her a sheepish half-smile.

She nodded meekly. "Thanks Teeks…"

Hikari turned around to walk. Takeru swallowed hard and took a deep breath before stepping next to her, joining the stroll. The boy cringed, his fingers kneading the strap of his bag, an old habit that he could not rid. His heart beat had yet to return to normalcy, but to save her grace, he tried to brush it aside.

"Are you… coming by the practice?"

He peered at her, curious to know how much time she had for him today. The pink in her cheeks had faded, quickly replaced by a frown. She tucked her stray hairs and scrunched her nose, caught between hesitance and thoughts. With a wince, she turned to him. "Sorry Teeks, I have so much unfinished work. I need to go to the library…"

He could tell there was more – the way she shifted uncomfortably, her nervous chew on her lips, and the distraction in her eyes. Her apology was not for missing out his practice for school work. She had missed them more than he could ever keep count. It was for something else.

"It's fine," he shrugged with an easy smile, "he'll get used to us."

Her head lifted, surprised. He followed her when she slowed her footsteps, to watch her tilt her head in his direction. Hikari let out a breath of relief, then gave him a smile that tugged a corner of her lips in a mix of embarrassment and gratitude.

With hands now in the one central pocket of his sweater, Takeru nudged the brunette with his elbow. "Come on," he spoke tenderly, a goofy grin spreading across his face, accentuating his boyish looks. In a strange manner of assurance shared between the two friends, Takeru jerked his head encouragingly in the direction of their walk. "Let's go grab seats."

They walked in comfortable silence along the corridors of bricked buildings, crossed lawns littered with crisp fallen leaves, and moved past scattered faculties. The occasional Autumn breeze would pick their hairs and tug the hem of their outerwear. Hikari took in a deep breath and sigh in happiness. Takeru grinned at this, never growing tired of her love for the season of changing colours. She hugged her coat tight as they skipped over raised grounds and quickened their stroll knowing they are nearing Itou's.

A small crowd hurdled before a modern-looking café nestled within cherry trees ablaze in hues of gold and red. The ground blanketed with leaves was reflection of the thinning foliage, and amongst the colours, the cool metal of the architecture stood out like a sore thumb. Its flat roof stretched awkwardly, collecting pools of leaves and broken branches. Clean concrete lines marked all four corners of the popular eatery, carefully connected by tall and wide windows. Some said it was a student's design made reality by lecturers with terrible taste, while others thought it was a clever take on marrying nature and man. Itou's slowly divided the campus into two types of student bodies – the ones who appreciated the strange combination, and those who moaned about the horrific mess. Takeru belonged to the first, while Hikari often switched between the two, agreeing the café looked majestic hiding in the greens only on certain days. The campus-wide debate on Itou's would only cease during Spring when the trees bloom in shades of pink, becoming the hottest university spot for couples and friends alike.

"They'd need _a lot_ of help keeping Itou's clean," she smirked at the café's unglamorous state.

"Not looking the best today," Takeru agreed before grinning.

Takeru and Hikari joined the neat line of students waiting for seats. She slid her backpack to her side to unzip a small compartment for her phone, much to his dismay. The screen came to live with the tap of her fingers and Takeru found himself staring at her messenger. Sucking his cheeks in, Takeru pulled out his own phone as well. Save for a few games and a number of messages from friends, he had no need to check his phone. Takeru bit the insides of his cheeks in frustration. He hated how he can't pull his act together when reality hit him every single time.

"Daisuke is visiting next month!"

She shoved her palm-sized phone in his face, and he looked up from his own distraction to find her eyes widened in delight. It was a message from their past Digital World comrade. The blond quickly scanned his own messages. Sure enough, Daisuke's name appeared amongst the list of his unread messages.

"About time!" he chirped, moving with the line as it shortened.

They hadn't seen Daisuke since the young determined lad left for Fukuoka ten months ago upon finishing their national exams. His decision seemed rash and impulsive to everyone, but it was a dream. The last they heard, Daisuke had managed to enroll in a university in Fukuoka.

"We should start planning a gathering. We haven't seen everyone together for far too long." Takeru continued.

Hikari was already on it. Mere seconds later, Takeru's phone buzzed, notifying him of a new chat group he was added into. He shook his head in amusement as she beamed at him, second time for the day. She was beautiful even in the most unsuspecting moments. He liked how the winds teased him, picking at her hair, making odd glimmering strands stuck out from the usual sleek locks. Her cheeks had turned a pale shade of pale pink being out in the dropping temperatures. He inwardly sighed. Shoji Harada was a lucky bastard.

"I think I've added everyone," she said, her attention back to her phone. "Oh, look! They're responding!"

Takeru laughed at her state of excitement and checked his own phone. Miyako had flooded the chat with one liners.

"For two?" A petite lady, undoubtedly a student working part-time at the café, asked.

The pair nodded. The waitress guided them to the only empty table within the relatively small space. Their seats were right smack in the middle of the café, centrepiece to the changing volume of chatter overwhelming their auditory senses. Hikari didn't seem to mind, settling herself on the wooden furniture and flipping through the menu. Back against the stiff furniture and lips pulled into a relaxed smile, the blond took in the high ceiling, the scene through the squeaky clean windows of falling leaves floating and twirling, then the girl before his eyes. She looked up from the menu and he heard her asking about his choice of food. He had to catch himself before she realised his eyes had dropped to her lips, transfixed by the curves that mouthed the words.

"Gyudon," he replied, sipping the hot tea that the waitress had brought over.

"Oh no," she twisted her lips, considering. "Should I get that instead?"

They placed their orders – two Gyudons – and she returned to her phone. The sides of her lips twitched as she tapped her fingers fast, and the light and image of scrolling text reflected in her eager eyes. He swallowed the jealousy that had robbed him off his smile. She had already spent so much time with Shoji Harada, and Takeru was not ready to lose more of his fair share of her time to him.

"Have you met Maeko?"

"Hmm?" She looked up, a mysterious smile lingering which made him extremely uneasy. It took her a few seconds to take in what he said. "Oh, yes! Okasan made her come for dinner on Monday." She placed her phone away, full attention back. "I like her, she's nice."

Her recap rang alarm bells inside him. "That's great," he said distractedly. "When–" he paused to vaguely shift his cup and reach out for the self-serving box of chopsticks on his left, fully aware he was opening himself up to vulnerability once more, "… is he meeting your… family?"

Hikari blushed. She took the pair of chopsticks Takeru had offered to her and unconsciously played with her hair. "I…," she trailed, before curling her lower lip and shrugged. "Isn't it a little too fast?" she asked, confessing her doubts.

Takeru fought back a smile to retain the seriousness of the conversation. His heart wasn't so resolute, skipping a few beats in glee. When Takeru did not say anything, Hikari took the cue to continue.

"Okasan is constantly asking me to bring Sho home," she pushed her hair back with a frown, "and I just don't think I'm ready – you know?"

Takeru couldn't contain himself and finally broke into a smile. The way she had dropped her voice and her widening brown eyes acknowledging her apprehension tugged at his heartstrings. His one hand rubbed the back of his neck and he furrowed his brows. "You're very confident," he joked.

"Takeru Takaishi!" Hikari exclaimed in an undertone, pouting all the same at Takeru's light-heartedness of the situation. "I'm not _not_ confident! Shoji's wonderful," she sighed with a smile that dulled his optimism. "I mean… what if – and I meant what _if_, it… doesn't work out? I'm not like Miyako…"

He let his arm fall to his side as he watched the girl across him stooped. He knew she was referencing her girl pal Miyako's warm personality that easily overshadowed anyone. Miyako was loud and confident, and even with her boisterous temperament, her sincerity effortlessly matched the most genuine person in any room. Miyako's impressive ongoing six-year relationship with boyfriend Ken Ichijouji probably didn't help with Hikari's self-assurance either. Takeru pursed his lips. The past weeks had exposed new insecurities he never knew his best friend had. She bit her lower lip and gave away a half smile, and guilt hit Takeru hard. He vaguely remembered the countless time she teased him about the girls that had fancied him and probed about his pretentious first kiss in middle school. All this while, he couldn't recall a moment when he was ever genuinely curious about her turning her nose up at the testosterone driven boys lining up for her.

"Hey," he began, leaning in as when his cheeky grin was replaced by the softening of facial crease lines. His blue eyes were piercing into brown orbs. "You are not like Miyako, and you are _not_ Miyako." He paused. He wanted so badly to tell her that there was never a need to benchmark love and that he loved her all the same. Yet, he held his tongue, for not everything was about Takeru Takaishi and his feelings. "And that's why he likes you, Kari."

She considered his words. The light in her eyes sparked a hint of playfulness and her smile resurfaced. "I'm very envious right now."

He raised a brow, not quite sure where she was leading onto.

"Of your future girlfriend," she smirked.

He gave her a sheepish grin, slightly embarrassed by her sudden focus on him and her change in subject. He'd have made a comeback like he'd always do, to tease her the way she just did, to hint at his affection for her, but would it be apt? Awkward, Takeru cleared his throat and sipped his tea. The tips his of ears burned as he grew conscious of her staring at him. If she weren't seeing anyone, he'd thought she sounded a tad bit flirtatious.

Their food came in time to rescue him; A towering figure stood over their table to place the bowls before them. Hikari gasped at the generous serving and he heard his own stomach growl. Takeru straightened his chopsticks against the table surface and began eating. Across him, Hikari snapped a photo of her meal and placed her attention on her phone instead. He glanced at her and unconsciously chewed his food slower. Hers was an unusual activity.

"That was new?"

She looked up from her phone and blushed. "Just showing him my meal," she explained, half grimacing, half embarrassed at having to explain herself.

The food against his tongue lost their taste. He forced a smile and nodded as she placed her phone away to eat. He needed no convincing to see that his best friend was happier. Her smile was different; It was effortless, and it was radiating from within, and as much as he loved seeing her happy, her smiles felt like multiple stabs at his heart.

"Is he in class?"

She nodded with her mouth full.

"What's his major?"

"International business," she said, "against his wishes."

"Because of… his parents?"

She nodded again with a slight frown. "They have a family business here, and they want him to take over."

"Oh…" Takeru realised he knew nothing about the guy she was dating. In his head, he was trying to piece the information together. "That's not a bad plan."

"He wants to play baseball professionally, but he found it hard to disappoint his parents," she continued. "He had to reject an offer two years ago to go professional."

Takeru tried hard to taste his food, but to his malfunctioning taste buds, his bowl of Gyudon was growing blander. He had heard from the whispers of Harada's fans, and knew the cocky third-year was a well celebrated athlete on campus. Of course, Shoji Harada was good at his sport – Takeru had watched him play. But never ever did he think Harada would be of baseball league calibre. He chewed his tongue, feeling less valued.

"Doesn't he have siblings to… do what his parents want?"

"He has two onii-chan," she grimaced, "and they didn't want to take over the family business. They left Tokyo to start jobs elsewhere…"

When Takeru appeared more susceptible to the topic, Hikari's shoulders lax. She began to speak more boldly about her time spent with Shoji, punctuating each recount with a smile that sent needles to his wounded heart. Incapable of containing his jealousy if he were to open his mouth, Takeru pressed his lips tight into a smile, nodding not too often to validate his attention. The chopsticks in his sweaty fingers slipped a few millimetres down, forcing him to reposition the two sticks. No amount of noise from the little café could drown out her words ― words that painted Shoji Harada as the sweetest and most genuine boy she had ever crossed paths with.

In between nods, the blond chowed. He continued to drift in and out of the conversation, unconsciously dividing his attention between her narration, his chews, and the table on his right that had two cups of tea and… ― _What was she saying again, about a library?_

"… He said he had gone to the library several times to actually see if we could cross paths again, so he could try to talk to me," she rolled her eyes, but the tips of her ears turned pink. "And all the while I was wondering how much work can a business major have."

He slowed his chewing until the grinding of his teeth stopped. _How long had she hung out with this guy before I was aware? _Takeru looked up from his bowl of rice, a familiar ice cold sensation ran through his veins.

"I told him he got lucky – that I was guilt tripped into talking," she grinned with a twinkle in her eyes. "If I hadn't had to find you after your trainings and end our conversations abruptly, I probably wouldn't have talked to him again, and again, and again."

She broke into a big smile and did her eye-roll again. Takeru watched the way her face lit up and his mouth went dry. The steady breathing was caught in his windpipe as he lowered his gaze, deep in thought. He didn't know if he had the courage to sit through the lunch, to catch the littlest signs of her falling in love with another person. He wasn't ready and he wanted to tell her, but he didn't know how.

Slowly but surely, the boy lifted his head high and cleared his throat. He sat much straighter and flashed a grin. "You're very welcome," he said in the cockiest voice he could hope to muster.

Hikari lifted her brows and looked back blankly. Seconds later, she laughed.

"I'm not joking when I said you're inheriting Yamato's mannerism."

"Runs in the family."

"No kidding. The way you're eating, it's like you've been starved for weeks, and they still find you're worth their time."

Hikari tilted her head towards her left and Takeru found himself turning back to look at a table of three girls blushing having been caught eyeing the blond. They had dark hair except for one, whose locks were dyed light ash. The three girls were all dressed and dolled up in a myriad of colours, their coats and jackets draped casually over their seats. Funny how he had not noticed them, for the trio stood out from the dull combination of blacks, blues, and whites that spotted the space. From the sheer effort in putting their outfits together, the blond couldn't help but smirked at his fellow first years. The gesture sent all three crimson red in the faces.

"You're giving them hope."

"It's just a smile." Takeru had turned back to face his best friend with a laugh.

"Every time you do that, they'd come and ask me if there's a chance."

"I smile at you all the time, but you don't ask that, do you?" Takeru replied matter-of-factly. He raised his chopsticks to return to his meal, expecting her comeback to be fired at him as per their usual friendly banters. Yet, a second later, the latter did not come.

He furrowed his brows as he fixated his stare at the half empty bowl. Two seconds. He took a bite. Three seconds. She had not said anything. Four seconds. Takeru's heart began to speed. In his head, alarms were setting themselves off – He had asked a personal question without realising so. The fist of muscles thumped loudly against his chest, refusing to hide the blond's eagerness to know.

He looked up, eyes wide and heart open. Had he hit a nerve? Could the girl he had such strong feelings for be hesitating because she did bear a torch for him? Even if it's not now, maybe she had once liked him enough? The quick palpitations made it so hard for him to clear his head. Across him, she had withdrawn her slender fingers from the phone screen and lifted her head. Save for smile, she carried a blank expression that told him she hadn't probably listened. Takeru's heart fell. Why was he so hopeful for a moment, thinking maybe she had feelings like he had? He never knew he could taste disappointment and jealousy in his mouth – unpleasant, mildly acidic, and very very bitter. The boy leaned back against the chair and ruffled his hair. He had to resist a sigh.

"It was just Mika and Aiko, not everyone…"

Hikari propped her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand. The smile that lingered grew into a mischievous grin. Not uttering a word, the brunette shook her head lightly and withdrew her hand from the table. Takeru narrowed his eyes as she went back to eat. A grin played on her lips, teasing him. Smirking, the blond reached out one hand to poke his best friend gently on her shoulder. She giggled and moved to avoid the prod, which only prompted Takeru to wriggle his hand to tickle her.

"Te-eeks!" she said in between laughs and gasps. "We're getting stares!" she exclaimed in a low whisper, to which Takeru chuckled and stopped. Her brown eyes softened, the perfect row of teeth biting lower lip to control bout of giggles.

"You were always their favourite."

"Whose?" Takeru raised his brows in mock surprise.

Hikari smiled, knowing better. She held his gaze, and he found himself lost in the swirls of her chocolate brown eyes; They were like winter roasted chestnuts, warm and comforting. Like time machine, they'd take him back to the days when their young selves ran across vast fields of the dark and isolated Digital World, where they were the only pair of eyes that did not judge nor reject. The same pair had also seen through his pain and struggles, only to accept his flaws with the right amount of ego bruising that only made him smirk. He couldn't tear himself away from them – He wouldn't want to. He would willingly lose himself in her eyes, to take comfort in their banters that sends his heart on roller coaster rides, and play the couple everyone had deemed them to be, only if the hand that she had allowed to hold hers were his.

"What's your plan for the day?" He sipped his tea and watched her pause. Her hesitations worry him.

"We're going to the movies."

Takeru didn't like to sound of 'we'. It was too exclusive, amplifying how he had no part in it. He sipped his tea coolly and nodded.

"But I should finish up my assignment… I'm barely halfway done for the paper, and it's going to take some time to proofread and I don't even know what I'm writing! I don't want to fail, my marks are –"

"Send it to me."

"Huh?"

"I'll help you, send it to me."

"Teeks, it's so technical! I need to find case studies and relate back to the theories, I don't know –"

"I'll figure it out. Just send it and I'll make sure it's crystal clear when you get them back."

"Don't you have your own writing to finish?"

"It's not much, I'll manage," he lied with a shrug.

Hikari narrowed her eyes, not quite believing. "I'll send it if you promise me you'll finish your work first."

"Promise." His three fingers were raised, a pledge gesture from him to her. She smiled at this and drank her tea.

The empty bowls sat untouched on the table an hour later, and their cups that were refilled by the female wait staff were now topped up a young pale-complexion waiter that had taken over her shift. It was approaching evening, and the café was looking emptier. The three girls had also left, not before exchanging smiles with the blond. Hikari smirked, and he managed a smile to hide his disappointment at her reaction.

With each exit and walk-in, the sliding door let in the chill that sent Hikari pulling her coat tighter. Takeru insisted she take his sweater, which she adamantly refused. The door slid again, and this time round she wrapped her hands around the warmth of the cup. She was going on about getting a part time job at the convenience store on campus, and he was grinning at the idea. It was smart. Smarter than when she chose to work across her apartment block in high school and was busted by Taichi who made her quit. He could still remember her shrieking in the phone, possibly the first and only time she had went hysterical before him. Taichi would always say school comes first, but who wouldn't want the spare cash? He thought he should try too – maybe they would wind up working at the same store. The thought that it would piss Shoji Harada off only made him smile harder.

And then he caught heads turning at the silhouette of a tall male with sleek dark hair walking towards them and felt his stomach turned. The colours on his face must have drained. His lips turned downwards and his chest tightened. The figure of Shoji Harada grew with each long stride, revealing an equally displeased demeanour that made Takeru's hand curled into a ball.

Takeru's fading smile peaked Hikari's interest. She looked back to identify his distraction, breaking into a smile when her eyes found the same male figure that had made the former quiet. Takeru watched her expression unfolded before him and his heart sank. An unexplainable sour feeling took over. He knew it shouldn't have been a surprise – that he should start getting used to it – but as Shoji walked over, Takeru couldn't help but threw a nasty glare at him and looked away.

Had he woken up in a nightmare again? The younger of the male shifted his arms, which now felt awkward by his sides. He didn't know how to mask his disappointment. He wasn't even sure why he had to if Shoji was just as rude. Shoji let the thick strap of his messenger bag slid off his shoulder and onto the floor. Not wasting a second, the older male dragged a chair to sit next to Hikari, leaning in unabashedly to peck her cheek that sent her blushing.

"I didn't know you've finished class. I could have find you instead."

Takeru pursed his lips. Had his best friend meant to spend her afternoon with him to kill the time until she meets her boyfriend? He flexed his now cold hands, a wave of wretchedness washed over him.

"I have to make sure you're _fine_," Shoji said, dragging his last word with a hint of sarcasm that ticked Takeru off. The latter clenched his fist hard under the table, nails digging into skin. Fear had morphed into annoyance, then to pure irritation.

"_Of course_ I'm fine," Hikari responded with a nervous laugh. She tilted her head after her comment, and with eyes narrowed, appeared like she had just heard the most absurd thing ever.

"Well," Shoji started, his arm going around her waist, "I can't be too careless."

Takeru heard her nervous laughter a second time and inwardly scowled. It was deliberate the older male was taking a jab at him and pushing buttons. If it wasn't for his well-temperament, Takeru would have hit his fist against the table and call the arrogant prat out on his sarcasm. Instead, Takeru kept mummed and stomach the anger brewing in him The straight face he pulled did little to conceal his fake nonchalance. He found himself conjuring excuses to exit. When the voices in his head couldn't give him a direction, Takeru gave in. He could no longer, out of politeness, avoid looking at them, so he then forced himself to face the pair, his lips pressed tightly into an upward curl.

Takeru's attempt at being nice did not go unnoticed. Hikari's facial features softened as she returned a tiny smile. Between the two, her eyes communicated more; He knew she was gratified from the way her eyes met his, lingering for a second longer than they should have. The warmth she exuded comforted him. Involuntarily, his facial muscles relaxed as well. It was short-lived, like all other good things that had to come to an end. When the shared moment passed, she had turned her attention to the one she proclaimed to love, leaving his gaze still upon her, now unrequited.

He didn't want her to feel grateful.

Takeru watched her turned away. If he had a choice, he never wished to be in his current position. The other guy had his arm around her, pulling her close. He sat across seeing her blushed, gracefully accepting the intimacy. The knot in his stomach tightened. Dropping his gaze to the table before him, then quickly glancing elsewhere around the cafeteria, he could hear Shoji's whispers of concern.

"How were classes?" he asked, brushing strands of stray hairs away from her face.

"Surprisingly not too bad," she responded. Her cheeks had turned redder at his touch, obviously not used to displaying their relationship in front of a friend. "But I was reminded of the assignment due next week," she frowned, before scrunching her nose into a wince. "I haven't started…"

"We can do that later," he offered, his voice strong and warm.

Takeru, who had all the while remained seated, fought back a scoff. He couldn't believe how they had somewhat dismissed the fact that he was sitting right across them. Wasn't he the one enjoying a conversation with Hikari for the past hour? Why did it feel like he had intruded someone else's hangout? Annoyed, Takeru contemplated leaving – until he heard his name.

"Teeks had offered to help," Hikari chirped.

_What were they talking about again?_ Lost in his own anguish thoughts, he had no clue. She glanced at him, so he gave her a lopsided grin. Shoji had pursed his lips, looking rather displeased.

"Can he?" Shoji scoffed.

"Watch your attitude," Takeru warned, eyes narrowed, dangerously on the edge of acting out.

"Why? Are you going to push me again?" Shoji sneered, leaning in in mockery.

Shoji's words sent Takeru's entire body quivering with indignation. His face was contorted in an all-consuming fury, nostrils flaring at the smirk now framing the older male's face. Hikari had shied away, eyes downcast, squirming in discomfort at the tension. Her lack of intervention threw him off. He would do anything for her, including laying hands to shove a jerk that didn't deserve her affection, even if it means going against his own personal principles. Surely his best friend of ten years would know?

In the short moment when she said nothing, he too was at a loss for words. A strangely exasperated laugh left his lips and he shook his head slowly in disbelief. They were always a team. Was there a point staying, to be pointedly insulted at and be spatting angry words with, if the person who always stood by him had blatantly switched sides?

Fingers hastily grabbing his black lumpy bag full of training gear, the blonde stood up. Hikari's head lifted and eyes flew open at his sudden movement. Beside her, Shoji had drank Hikari's now cold tea in nonchalance, unperturbed by the feathers ruffled. Takeru paused, waiting for signs of her defence, to only see her biting her lips in nervousness, and her chocolate brown eyes begging for him to walk away. Disappointment was an understatement.

"Don't flatter yourself. I have better things to do."

Gripping hard at the handle, Takeru walked off as calmly as he could. He wouldn't let them break him even if they try. He smiled at the cashier and paid for his and her share of food, and pocketed his receipt and change. Nodding his head and expressing his thanks to the cashier, Takeru headed for the glass door, sliding it open to feel the rush of wind against him. The strong wind swept his hair left and right as he pushed the door shut. Curse be the door, to have let him see Shoji now sitting where he sat, in conversation with her like nothing had just happened.

The imagery haunted his walk down corridors. He could still picture her inaction, allowing her beau to verbally attack him; Ten years of looking out for one another, and it took one minute for Shoji Harada to walk right in to break their bond. He swung the duffle over his shoulder and muttered a curse. He could try overlooking her blindsiding him, but he could not excuse her for throwing him under the bus. Wasn't Hikari who said things need not change?

His angry thoughts and hasty steps brought Takeru to the indoor court. At the far end where the loop was sat four boys, legs sprawled or bent in different awkward angles. One had his shirt carelessly strewn aside, while perspiration continued to soak through the tops of three others', shirts sticking uncomfortably to skins. The bright orange ball left abandoned was three metres away from the huddle.

They were talking, but their chattering was different.

The usual guffaw and goofing was not in earshot. Their conversation, often sporadically overpowering the ongoing scattered chatters around the court pre-training, was instead very tame. There were no smiles, much less a chuckle.

But Takeru took no notice. As alert and sensitive as he typically was, the voice in his head had rang loud, and it was all he could hear. Within a span of quarter hour, it had grown angry and frustrated, and he an activated bomb about to blow. The fury burned, and it only grew with every pathetic thought hissing poisonous feelings that fed the fire. Whatever that was crawling in his skin, he had to rid it. The bad mixture of bitterness, jealousy and anger was consuming him, and he needed them out.

Tiny sharp screeching followed his footsteps as his green shoes rubbed against the floor. Takeru let go of his duffel, letting the bulk dropped its weight onto the ground with a thud. It caught his court comrades' attention. One by one, almost on cue, the sweaty boys went hush. Their eyes followed the blond as the latter swiftly picked the ball from the floor. Takeru let the tips of his fingers pressed hard against the rough surface of the leather. He twisted his mouth, his expression incomprehensible.

_One minute._

He had allowed that one damned minute, and now she's with someone else; She had chosen an insecure prick in a heartbeat, and no amount of intimacy nor connection he had shared with her for the past weeks seemed any worthy of her consideration. And now he had to endure watching her cosy up with the idiot.

Takeru let out a laugh to himself out of self-pity. The grip around the curve of the ball tightened. Following a bounce, Takeru hurled the ball at the ring, hard. The orange blob flew for the ring, carrying with it Takeru's anger and misery, hitting the rim with a force that shook the sturdy metal. The ball ricocheted off half court as the blond stood unmoving, biting his teeth, clenching his fist, and staring hard at the hoop.

The team exchanged uncertain looks. Gradually, some students began to leave the space. The few that stayed were much quieter, having sensed the unusual tension from the centre of the court. For a split second, it seemed like moving a muscle was inappropriate. No one dared fidget, and no one said anything. They knew. They had known it before Takeru placed a foot into the court.

Then someone shifted; Seiichi had pushed himself up and went after the rolling ball. The dark haired lad took the ball in his hand. With wide quiet strides, he walked to where Takeru stood, stopping only when he was right by Takeru. He stood silent, almost as still as the latter. And slowly, almost suddenly, Seiichi raised his hand that gripped the orange ball. With a force that resonated Takeru's, he threw the same ball hard at the ring.

The unconventional behaviour broke Takeru's insensibility. His eyes lit up with surprise as the ball cut into his view to hit the metal rim. The vibration of shaken metal now sounded a lot clearer than before; The rigidity of metal giving way to force was almost too satisfying to hear. Subconsciously, the fairer of the two felt his muscles loosen. His breathing turned calmer, and his fingers gradually released their clench.

Unlike Takeru, Seiichi had eyed the orange blur, ready for the rebound. As it missed the hoop to hit backwards, the lanky figure of Seiichi followed. He stepped forward, jumped high, and swiftly caught the ball mid-air with both hands. Upon witnessing this, Takeru furrowed his brows and folded his arms across his chest. He scowled and turned away, like a child throwing a tantrum; He had a funny feeling Seiichi was trying to prove a point, and he wasn't certain it was good timing.

But Takeru's resistance only made Seiichi more determined. With the ball still in his hands, the latter marched forward. "Takeru!" he said with an urgency. His voice had an unmistaken quiver, alike an explosive being withheld.

Takeru refused to respond, so Seiichi tried again. This time round, Seiichi thrusted the ball in his hands towards Takeru. The vigor destabilised the blond, forcing him to grasp the ball as his upper body swayed. Irritated, Takeru re-positioned himself, not before rejecting the ball that was pressed upon him. He pushed it aside, letting it bounced several times away from the duo and the group that continued to watch. But Seiichi's method had Takeru's attention, for Takeru faced him thereafter, albeit the daggers and glares sent Seiichi's way.

"Takeru!" Seiichi started, desperate for a team mate he had grown to become good friends with to hear him out. Even then, his voice was low in an attempt to keep the conversation less public than it already was. "In a ball game, not leading doesn't mean you've lost."

Takeru smirked at the analogy, like it was the most absurd thing he had heard.

"But if you let that ball go," Seiichi continued, one finger pointing at the ball that had stopped at a corner. "You have no one to blame it on but yourself!"

Takeru narrowed his eyes at the comment. "I didn't come here for a lecture," he hissed. With that, Takeru shoved Seiichi's shoulder with an intentional brute. Seiichi gritted his teeth. Muscle mass against muscle mass, the latter had given way, not without first leaving an immediate ache in the spots where they hit. Some of the boys on the floor had their brows raised, others flabbergasted, while Seiichi stood at the same spot, thunderstruck by the turn of events.

But anger suppressed all physical pain. Takeru grabbed his duffel from the ground, pissed. Who did Seiichi think he was to be telling him he was not trying? Damn it! He had tried – Every bloody means he could possibly attempt, he had tried! With a hasty swing, the thick strap laid itself conveniently on his sore shoulder. He bit the insides of his cheeks in annoyance, then turned and stormed off, wordless. The content in his bag swayed violently with every angry step Takeru took to exit the court.

He thought basketball would be what he needed.

Heck!

He thought seeing Hikari was what he needed.

* * *

**A/N:** I have you all waiting, and it's a long wait too. I haven't have much time to write for the past months, but I try, and still get writer's block pretty often, which doesn't help. I'm given a new role at work since Feb which took even weekends away from me. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you. It's one that I have planned for a while. As I continue to progress the story, I realised what I have in my head is way longer in chapters than I thought - is that good? It means you'll have to persevere with me on getting the story to its end. :P Please r&amp;r, it's fuel :) and thanks for still sticking around and reading!

**To reviewers:**  
**XxThe-Crest-Of-AnubisxX** Are you still reading? :)  
**shrimproll** Thanks for telling me how you felt - it means I've succeeded :P Even as I wrote that chapter, my heart broke. How was this chapter?  
**riml** Takeru's a strong boy, we both know he'll find a way :)  
**Hira Toryu** Thank you! For jumping out of your seat when you see my update. This one took a long while, I hope you're still reading?  
**JenG43** I hope you're still reading? Thanks for your review. I wrote it knowing Takeru was not a selfish person, I hope you agree with me :) Oh, someone within the circle would know. If they have never dated after being so close for so long, no one would suspect. Until now :P  
**Guest again** Hi! I'm so glad the impact stays - that made me very happy knowing I conveyed it well :) I agree, it's not time for him to jump to another girl yet. We shall see? :)  
**LILFOC** I'm planning a Hikari POV, but it's not going to happen anytime soon. I love your suggestion on Takeru confiding in someone. I don't think he's the type, but he'll need it.  
**SilverZero0** Yikes! How did you know?! Hahaha! It'll make it sweeter when it ends :)  
**Guest** Welcome back! I love your draw on the story. I'm not going to say you're wrong ;) Some people seek out, some seek in. Time will tell which is the best, isn't it? Thanks for supporting :)  
**Carupin** I'm BACK! Took way longer than I thought it'd! :( How was this one?  
Guest Are you the same Guest? I can never tell now haha! :D I'M BACK! Tell me this is worth the wait


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